title: Semen quality in varicocele patients is characterized by tapered sperm cells.
abstract: We used a retrospective case-control study design to compare sperm morphology in 50 varicocele patients and 50 patients with idiopathic infertility. Cases and controls were matched for the percentage of motile sperm and total sperm number per ejaculate. Varicocele patients had significantly more tapered sperm (36% +/- 3% versus 15% +/- 2%) and significantly fewer oval sperm (41% +/- 3% versus 47% +/- 2%). There was no significant difference between cases and controls in any other morphological type.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, University of California, Davis 95616.
authors.forename: B N
authors.initials: BN
authors.lastname: Naftulin
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Samuels
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Hellstrom
authors.forename: E L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Overstreet
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000002:abnormalities*; D014646:Varicocele / Q000473:pathology*