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Bhargavi K.: Sometimes, the Most Interesting Part of Embryology Isn’t Finding an Answer
Bhargavi K./LinkedIn
Oct 20, 2026, 17:03

Bhargavi K.: Sometimes, the Most Interesting Part of Embryology Isn’t Finding an Answer

Bhargavi K, Embryologist at Khurd Hospital, shared on LinkedIn:

“A sperm head shaped like a cup… but what exactly are we looking at?

Sometimes, the most interesting part of embryology isn’t finding an answer. It’s finding something that makes you ask more questions!

During semen analysis of a patient with oligoasthenoteratozoospermia (OAT), I came across an unusual sperm-head morphology. No spermatozoa with normal morphology were identified in the sample examined.

What caught my attention?

  • A distinctly cup-shaped sperm head
  • A prominent indentation
  • A rounded, bubble-like structure associated with the indentation.

My first thought was: What could explain this morphology? Could it be a sperm-head crater defect, a nuclear invagination, or another structural abnormality?

The literature describes crater defects involving nuclear and acrosomal invaginations.

Research on sperm-head vacuoles has also linked some structures observed under light microscopy to nuclear-envelope invaginations identified using advanced imaging techniques.

However, the exact nature of the structure in this observation remains unconfirmed.

This also got me thinking about sperm selection. When dealing with a sample where no spermatozoa meet normal morphological criteria, how would you approach sperm selection for ICSI?

Would you consider microfluidic sperm selection in a case like this? Could it help identify spermatozoa with better functional characteristics, even when morphology is severely abnormal, or would you favour another selection method?

Have you encountered a similar morphology in your practice? I’d love to hear your thoughts, experiences, and any relevant literature you’ve come across!

I have attached the image I captured through a microscope lens; it is a little blurred but shows the stained, cup-shaped sperm morphology.”

Bhargavi K.: Sometimes, the Most Interesting Part of Embryology Isn’t Finding an Answer

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Bhargavi K Fertility Fertility News ICSI OAT OB-GYN oligoasthenoteratozoospermia reproductive health Reproductive Medicine Women’s Health
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