title: [Hereditary tendency of varicocele].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the hereditary tendency of varicocele.
  
  
  METHODS
  We included in this study 112 varicocele patients, 117 direct male relatives of the patients, and 100 healthy men as controls. We compared the incidence of varicocele tween the direct relative group and the control group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The direct male relatives of the varicocele patients had a significantly higher incidence of varicocele than the healthy controls (36.8% vs 17%, P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The increased incidence of varicocele in the direct male relatives of the patients indicated a hereditary tendency of the disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing 100029, China. hisense_chen@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Hai-Xin
authors.initials: HX
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Xiang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Guan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Zi-Lin
authors.initials: ZL
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: Zhen-Shan
authors.initials: ZS
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.forename: Nai-Bo
authors.initials: NB
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010375:Pedigree; D014646:Varicocele / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D055815:Young Adult