title: Ultrastructural changes of smooth muscles in varicocele veins.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Varicocele is a dilatation of the pampiniform venous plexus and internal spermatic veins. It affects about 15-20% of male population and can cause infertility.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To describe the most significant ultrastructural changes of the smooth muscle cells in grade 3 varicocele veins.
  
  
  METHODS
  The authors analyzed 2- to 3-cm tracts of pampiniform venous plexus from 20 patients who underwent varicocelectomy for left varicocele. Light microscopic examination was performed with Van Gieson's stain. Ultrastructural examination was done using scanning and transmission electron microscopy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Light microscopic examination revealed irregularity and separation of medial smooth muscle cells by abundant collagen fibers in varicocele veins. On scanning electron microscopy, the medial layer of varicocele veins showed hypertrophy, irregularity, and separation of the outer longitudinal smooth muscle cells and deposition of numerous fatty globules in between muscle fibers. Transmission electron microscopy showed marked indentation and chromatin condensation of the nucleus, presence of clear vacuoles and myelin figures in the cytoplasm and plasmalemmal projections and formation of ghost bodies. Furthermore, smooth muscle cells were found to have pseudopodia-like projections around adjacent elastic and collagen fibers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The degenerative changes observed in smooth muscle cells and presence of abundant collagen fibers in the medial layer may contribute to the development of the varicocele of pampiniform venous plexus. Further molecular studies are required to shed more light for the underlying mechanism.
authors: Pathology Department, College of Medicine, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia.
authors: Refaat A
authors: RA
authors: Eid
authors: Khaled
authors: K
authors: Radad
authors: Mubarak
authors: M
authors: Al-Shraim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D014646:Varicocele / Q000473:pathology*; D014680:Veins / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D055815:Young Adult