title: Color Doppler ultrasound used for screening varicocele: the clinical significance as compared to physical examination.
abstract: The Acuson 128 XP color Doppler ultrasound (CDUS) unit has been applied to cases of infertility in the Chang Gung Memorial Hospital infertility clinic since November 1992. Seventy-four infertile males (group I) and 82 fertile cases (group II) with clinical obvious varicocele (detected by physical examination) were enrolled in this retrospective analysis. Subclinical varicocele (27%) may account for large group of the infertile men. It occurs almost bilaterally and can only be detected by CDUS. On the contrary, 26.8% of the cases with clinical obvious varicocele can be objectively ruled out by CDUS. Color Doppler ultrasound proved to be an easy, effective, convenient and noninvasive instrument for determining subclinical varicocele. It also helped to avoid unnecessary varicocelectomy in cases as judged by physical examination alone.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.forename: C K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Chuang
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods; D010808:Physical Examination; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color; D014646:Varicocele / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000517:prevention & control*