Ultrasound diagnosis of varicocele in the adolescent: our experience from Benin.
BACKGROUND
The diagnosis of varicocèle is clinical. In order to improve diagnosis of varicocele, we compared the clinical with the ultrasound findings in schoolboys with the condition. This is because the conditions can affect testicular growth.


METHODS
It was a cross-sectional, descriptive study of schoolboys aged from 10 to 19 years who had varicocele. Among 2724 boys examined, 149 had varicocele and only 81 had scrotal (18 with Doppler) and renal ultrasound examination.


RESULTS
Among the 81 adolescents who were clinically diagnosed with varicocele and also with the aid of ultrasound scan, 25, 36 and 20 had grade 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Testicular hypotrophy (TH) was clinically noticed in 17 cases. At ultrasonography, varicocele was bilateral in 87.66% and unilateral in 12.34% (P = 0.01) with 32 adolescents (39.51%) showing TH compared with 20.99% being diagnosed with TH using clinical examination alone (P = 0.01). In 50 schoolboys (61.73%) with unilateral varicocele, a subclinical type was discovered at other side. Renal ultrasound revealed abnormalities in 4.93% of cases. Doppler ultrasound helped in finding varicoceles along the top edge of the testis (n = 15) and under tunica albuginea (n = 3).


CONCLUSIONS
TH due to varicocele is better studied by ultrasound.
Services of Paediatric Surgery, National Teaching Hospital (CNHU), Avenue Jean Paul II, 01BP 386 Cotonou, Benin.
Michel A
MA
Fiogbe
Maroufou J
MJ
Alao
Olivier
O
Biaou
S Raphin A
SR
Gbenou
Patricia
P
Yekpe
Roger
R
Sossou
Serge C
SC
Metchihoungbe
D000293:Adolescent; D001541:Benin / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013737:Testis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler / Q000379:methods*; D013521:Urologic Surgical Procedures, Male / Q000379:methods; D014646:Varicocele / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods