title: Testicular growth, sperm concentration, percent motility, and pregnancy outcome after varicocelectomy based on testicular histology.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the outcome following surgery in two different patterns of testicular histology in patients with varicocele.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Academic medical center.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty patients underwent varicocelectomy and had a testicular histology diagnosis of germ-cell aplasia (group I, n = 28) or maturation arrest (group II, n = 32).
  
  
  METHODS
  Varicocelectomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Preoperative hormone levels, testicular size, and sperm parameters. After varicocelectomy, variations in testicular size, semen parameters, and pregnancy rates were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean volume of the right and left testicle was smaller in group I patients than in group II. In addition, the mean sperm concentration before treatment was lower in group I than in group II. The mean volume of the left and right testicle increased in group I after the intervention. The mean postoperative sperm concentration and motility in group II showed no increase, whereas the mean sperm concentration in group I did increase. The pregnancy rate was higher in group II (14/26, 53.8%) than in group I (4/16, 25%) (P=.02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with germ-cell aplasia present a postoperative increase in testicular size but the pregnancy rate is higher in patients with maturation arrest following surgery.
authors.affiliation: Divisão de Clínica Urológica, Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. Fabio@conception-rs.com.br
authors.forename: Fábio Firmbach
authors.initials: FF
authors.lastname: Pasqualotto
authors.forename: Antônio Marmo
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Lucon
authors.forename: Plínio Moreira
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: de Góes
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hallak
authors.forename: Bernardo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sobreiro
authors.forename: Eleonora Bedin
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Pasqualotto
authors.forename: Sami
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Arap
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002455:Cell Division; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013081:Sperm Motility; D013091:Spermatogenesis; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000166:cytology; D013737:Testis / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000473:pathology*; D014646:Varicocele / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*