title: [Effects of varicocele therapy on spermatozoan function].
abstract: Men suffering from varicocele have lower mean sperm counts and "worse" seminal parameters than those without a varicocele. Also in those with a varicocele, who already fathered a child, the mean sperm count is lower than in other fertile men. The observations, however, do not refer specifically to an existing varicocele, but are common also in other spermatogenic defects. This holds also true for the frequency of tapering forms. Besides the classical parameters of the spermatozoa also novel parameters of the extended semen analysis were tested. As well in the rate of acrosome-reacting spermatozoa, in the rate of anilinblue stained cells, in the number of zona binding-spermatozoa as in the concentration of sperm antibodies no differences between men with and men without a varicocele were found. The grade of a varicocele does not account for the degree of the spermatogenic defect. The progressive damage to the spermatogenesis by an persisting varicocele is discussed controversely. It was suggested that an early treatment of a varicocele, in particular in the adolescence, might inhibit the later insufficiency of sperm production. Correction of a varicocele is followed by an improvement of seminal parameters, in particular of sperm motility. In controlled studies, however, this effect was also observed in the untreated group. This casts some doubt on the causative effect of the varicocele treatment. The improvement of seminal parameters is not always accompanied by an increase in fertility, although also some functional parameters showed an improvement after correction of the varicocele.
authors.affiliation: Abteilung Andrologie, Medizinisches Zentrum für Hautkrankheiten, Klinikum der Philipps-Universität, Marburg.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Krause
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D011379:Prognosis; D013075:Sperm Capacitation / Q000502:physiology; D013076:Sperm Count; D013091:Spermatogenesis / Q000502:physiology*; D014646:Varicocele / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery
vernacular_title: Effekte der Varikozelentherapie auf die Spermatozoenfunktion.