Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Annals of Surgery logoLink to Annals of Surgery
. 1988 Feb;207(2):223–227. doi: 10.1097/00000658-198802000-00019

Varicocele in youth. A therapeutic dilemma.

J Sayfan 1, Y Soffer 1, H Manor 1, E Witz 1, R Orda 1
PMCID: PMC1493363  PMID: 3277548

Abstract

The need for treatment of asymptomatic varicocele in youth is controversial. In the current study testicular volume and seminal variables were evaluated in three groups: young varicocele patients with undetermined fertility potential, infertile varicocele patients, and a control group of young males. The testicular volume was determined by ultrasonographic measurements. The results revealed a significant loss of "testicular mass" in both varicocele groups compared with the control group. The seminal findings disclosed a severe disturbance of spermatogenesis in the older varicocele group, whereas in the younger varicocele patients only the total spermatic count was significantly depressed. This difference in severity of functional impairment between the younger and older varicocele groups possibly points towards progressiveness of damage to the testicles. A more decisive therapeutic approach to the young male with asymptomatic varicocele and unknown fertility status could be justified.

Full text

PDF
223

Images in this article

224Fig. 1.
on p.224

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Alcalay J., Sayfan J. Prevalence of varicocele in young Israeli men. Isr J Med Sci. 1984 Nov;20(11):1099–1100. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Cockett A. T., Takihara H., Cosentino M. J. The varicocele. Fertil Steril. 1984 Jan;41(1):5–11. doi: 10.1016/s0015-0282(16)47530-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Comhaire F. H., Kunnen M. Factors affecting the probability of conception after treatment of subfertile men with varicocele by transcatheter embolization with Bucrylate. Fertil Steril. 1985 May;43(5):781–786. doi: 10.1016/s0015-0282(16)48566-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Hienz H. A., Voggenthaler J., Weissbach L. Histological findings in testes with varicocele during childhood and their therapeutic consequences. Eur J Pediatr. 1980 Mar;133(2):139–146. doi: 10.1007/BF00441582. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Krone K. D., Carroll B. A. Scrotal ultrasound. Radiol Clin North Am. 1985 Mar;23(1):121–139. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Lewis E. L., Rasor M. O., Overstreet J. W. Measurement of human testicular consistency by tonometry. Fertil Steril. 1985 Jun;43(6):911–916. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Lipshultz L. I., Corriere J. N., Jr Progressive testicular atrophy in the varicocele patient. J Urol. 1977 Feb;117(2):175–176. doi: 10.1016/s0022-5347(17)58387-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Lyon R. P., Marshall S., Scott M. P. Varicocele in youth. West J Med. 1983 Jun;138(6):832–834. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. MacLeod J. Seminal cytology in the presence of varicocele. Fertil Steril. 1965 Nov-Dec;16(6):735–757. doi: 10.1016/s0015-0282(16)35765-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. McFadden M. R., Mehan D. J. Testicular biopsies in 101 cases of varicocele. J Urol. 1978 Mar;119(3):372–374. doi: 10.1016/s0022-5347(17)57494-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Nilsson S., Edvinsson A., Nilsson B. Improvement of semen and pregnancy rate after ligation and division of the internal spermatic vein: fact or fiction? Br J Urol. 1979 Dec;51(6):591–596. doi: 10.1111/j.1464-410x.1979.tb03609.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Oster J. Varicocele in children and adolescents. An investigation of the incidence among Danish school children. Scand J Urol Nephrol. 1971;5(1):27–32. doi: 10.3109/00365597109133569. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Pozza D., D'Ottavio G., Masci P., Coia L., Zappavigna D. Left varicocele at puberty. Urology. 1983 Sep;22(3):271–274. doi: 10.1016/s0090-4295(83)80012-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Sayfan J., Adam Y. G., Soffer Y. A new entity in varicocele subfertility: the "cremasteric reflux". Fertil Steril. 1980 Jan;33(1):88–90. doi: 10.1016/s0015-0282(16)44486-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Sayfan J. Spermatic venography. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 1985 Nov;145(5):1099–1100. doi: 10.2214/ajr.145.5.1099. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Steeno O., Knops J., Declerck L., Adimoelja A., van de Voorde H. Prevention of fertility disorders by detection and treatment of varicocele at school and college age. Andrologia. 1976;8(1):47–53. doi: 10.1111/j.1439-0272.1976.tb01645.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Vermeulen A., Vandeweghe M. Improved fertility after varicocele correction: fact or fiction? Fertil Steril. 1984 Aug;42(2):249–256. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Wyllie G. G. Varicocele and puberty--the critical factor? Br J Urol. 1985 Apr;57(2):194–196. doi: 10.1111/j.1464-410x.1985.tb06422.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Annals of Surgery are provided here courtesy of Lippincott, Williams, and Wilkins

RESOURCES