Ipsilateral testicular catch-up growth rate following microsurgical inguinal adolescent varicocelectomy.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the ipsilateral catch-up growth rates compared to contralateral testicular growth in adolescents with varicocele undergoing microsurgical inguinal varicocelectomy.


METHODS
Between December 2005 and May 2007, 39 adolescent patients with grade 2-3 varicocele admitted to our clinic with complaints of pain and/or testicular asymmetry were operated. Preoperative mean age was 14.5 ± 1.96 (9-17). Testicular volumes were assessed with ultrasound every 3 months. The available followup was 39 months.


RESULTS
In our series, mean testicular preoperative volumes were 9.07 ± 3.19 mL for the right and 5.90 ± 1.74 mL for the left. Mean testicular volumes at the end of follow up were 13.97 ± 3.42 mL for the right and 12.20 ± 4.05 mL for the left. The testicular catch-up growth approximately begins after the 9th month and significant catch-up occurred in the 12-24 months (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Since testicular volume is the primary method of assessing testicular function in adolescents, testicular size can predict future fertility status significantly 9 months after surgical varicocele correction.
Department of Urology, Maltepe University School of Medicine, Maltepe, 34843 Istanbul, Turkey. orhundr@hotmail.com
Orhun
O
Sinanoglu
Seyit Erkan
SE
Eyyupoglu
Sinan
S
Ekici
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D006119:Groin / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative / Q000379:methods*; D013737:Testis / Q000254:growth & development*; D014646:Varicocele / Q000601:surgery*