title: Serum gonadotropins and testosterone in infertile patients with varicocele.
abstract: Serum concentrations of gonadotropins and testosterone in 25 infertile men with varicocele were compared with those in control men and men with idiopathic oligo-azoospermia. No significant difference was found in values of serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) (14.9 +/- 13.6 mIU/ml), luteinizing hormone (LH) (24.9 +/- 19.1 mIU/ml), and testosterone (5.0 +/- 2.1 ng/ml) when the group with varicocele was compared with either the control group (FSH, 7.0 +/- 3.2 mIU/ml; LH, 23.6 +/- 16.0 mIU/ml; testosterone, 5.3 +/- 1.8 ng/ml) or the group with idiopathic oligo-azoospermia (FSH, 23.0 +/- 22.69 mIU/ml; LH, 36.7 +/- 24.1 mIU/ml; testosterone, 5.31 +/- 2.3 ng/ml). However, compared with the control group, there was a significant elevation of serum FSH levels in patients with varicocele whose testicular biopsy score counts were between 1 and 4. The importance of preoperative determination of the serum FSH level is discussed.
mesh_terms: D001706:Biopsy; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood; D006065:Gonadotropins, Pituitary / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000097:blood*; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D009845:Oligospermia / Q000097:blood; D012661:Semen / Q000032:analysis; D013737:Testis / Q000473:pathology; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood*; D014646:Varicocele / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D006065:Gonadotropins, Pituitary; D013739:Testosterone; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone