title: [Infertility and varicocele through history].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To perform a historical review of varicocele and male infertility with the aim to find descriptions that first related them. In parallel, we review the evolution of treatment for varicocele up to date.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We refer to multiple authors and their treaties on Medicine, from first to 20th Century, in which descriptions of these pathologies are found, focusing on descriptions of the surgical technique for treatment of varicocele and their application in Spain.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Varicocele was already described in treaties from the first century having bee of n its treatment predominantly surgical from the first description to our days. Not identified as a cause of infertility until late, by the end of the 19th century, it is the main indication for treatment nowadays. The surgical technique has suffered many modifications over time, both in the approach as in the "radicality" of a vascular ligature applied.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Urología, Hospital Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, España.
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: García Navas
authors.forename: Emilio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Maganto Pavón
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: García-Ortells
authors.forename: Ignacio
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gómez García
authors.forename: Enrique
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sanz Mayayo
authors.forename: Angel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Escudero Barrilero
mesh_terms: D049670:History, 17th Century; D049671:History, 18th Century; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049690:History, Ancient; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000266:history*; D008297:Male; D014646:Varicocele / Q000266:history*