Table 7.
The changes in testicular stiffness and volume reported in the literature on varicocele
| Study | Elastography technique | Sample size (testes) | Testicular Stiffness in Varicocele | Testicular Volume in Varicocele |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erdogan et al | SWE | VC group(n = 50); contralateral normal testes group(n = 46); control group(n = 104) | Increased | Decreased |
| Li K et al | Strain elastography | VC I group(n = 66); VC II group(n = 60); VC III group(n = 70); control group(n = 50) | Increased | Decreased |
| Salbas et al | SWE | VC group(n = 78); contralateral normal testes group(n = 60); control group(n = 152) | Increased | Decreased |
| Turna et al | SWE | VC group(n = 116), VC group subdivided in two groups: normospermic and oligospermic group; control group(n = 58) | Increased; higher stiffness observed in oligospermic subgroup | Decreased |
| Jedrzejewski et al | SWE | VC group(n = 30); contralateral testes group(n = 30) | Increased only in cases with > 20% testicular volume reduction; no significant difference when volume reduction was 0%–20% | Decreased |
| Alperen et al | SWE | VC group(n = 55); control group(n = 69) | Decreased | No significant difference |
| Dede et al | ARFI | VC group(n = 30); control group(n = 30) | Decreased | No significant difference |
| Baleato–Gonzalez et al | SWE | VC group(n = 19); contralateral normal testes group(n = 13); control group(n = 44) | No significant difference | No significant difference |
| Yüzkan et al | SWE | VC group(n = 66); contralateral normal testes group(n = 50); control group(n = 116) | No significant difference | Decreased |
ARFI Acoustic radiation force impulse, SWE Shear wave elastography