title: Improvement of seminal parameters and pregnancy rates after antegrade sclerotherapy of internal spermatic veins.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the impact of antegrade scrotal sclerotherapy on seminal parameters and pregnancy rates in varicocele patients who have impairment of seminal parameters and/or couple infertility.
  
  
  METHODS
  Longitudinal, noncomparative study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tertiary university hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three hundred sixty-four consecutive varicocele patients with seminal impairment, including 173 (47.5%) patients who were not interested in fertility and 191 (52.5%) who were infertile.
  
  
  METHODS
  Modified antegrade scrotal sclerotherapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Increase in sperm count, motility, and/or normal forms in all patients. Pregnancy rates 12 months after treatment in infertile men.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median patient age was 32 years. Twelve months after treatment, persistent reflux was present in 45 (12.4%) cases. In 188 (51.6%) patients with low sperm number, sperm count statistically significantly improved, from 12 to 19.5 x 10(6) per milliliter. In the 336 (92.3%) patients with asthenospermia, progressive motile forms statistically significantly improved, from 25% to 45%. In the 147 (40.4%) patients with teratospermia, normal forms increased from 17% to 35%. In infertile patients without persistent varicocele, 65 (37.4%) patients fathered offspring. Patients obtaining a pregnancy presented a significantly higher sperm motility than did infertile patients (46% vs. 35%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Antegrade scrotal sclerotherapy significantly improves sperm count, motility, and morphology. Patients with couple infertility achieved a pregnancy in 37% of cases. Patients achieving pregnancy present a better progressive motility after treatment than patients who did not father any child.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncological and Surgical Sciences, Urology Clinic, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Galfano
authors.forename: Giacomo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Novara
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Iafrate
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: De Marco
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cosentino
authors.forename: Carolina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: D'Elia
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Artibani
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ficarra
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D018873:Pregnancy Rate; D015911:Sclerotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D012661:Semen / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology; D055101:Semen Analysis / Q000379:methods; D013085:Spermatic Cord / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology; D014646:Varicocele / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D014680:Veins / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D055815:Young Adult