title: Abnormalities of the testes and semen parameters in clinical varicocele.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the abnormal changes in the testes and semen parameters in patients with varicose veins and analyze the possible relationship between clinical varicocele and infertility.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively reviewed the records of 172 male patients consulting for varicocele in our hospital since 2003. All these patients were examined for the size of the testes with scrotal ultrasound. The semen samples of the patients with varicocele except for 5 under the age of 17 years were collected and analyzed, using the data of semen analyses of 163 healthy young male volunteers (aged 18-29 years) as control.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All the 172 patients had left-sided varicose veins. Sixty-three patients were found to have bilateral varicocele, and in most of them, the clinical grades of the left-sided varicose veins were higher than those of the right-sided ones. The mean volume of the left testis of the patients was 10.99∓3.71 ml, significantly smaller than that of the right one (11.86∓4.05 ml, P<0.01). The physiochemical indices of the patients, including the voiding volume, semen pH, liquefaction time and sperm concentration, were normal or similar with those of the healthy volunteers (P>0.05). Almost all the patients sperm motility and viability were significantly lower than those of the healthy volunteers (P<0.05). In addition, no significant difference was found in the sperm density, motility or viability between the patients  with unilateral and bilateral varicocele (P>0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Varicocele may decrease the testicular volume. Both unilateral and bilateral varicocele may have an effect on the bilateral testes to cause possible functional impairment of the testes manifested by decreased sperm motility and viability.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410013, China. chnxuejuan@163.com
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.forename: Jianfu
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Xianzhen
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Le-Ye
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Tuo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Junhua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Guo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012661:Semen; D013076:Sperm Count; D013081:Sperm Motility; D013737:Testis / Q000503:physiopathology; D014646:Varicocele / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D055815:Young Adult