Color Doppler ultrasonography as a routine clinical examination in male infertility

AIM: We assessed the value of scrotal color Doppler ultrasonography as a routine examination in infertile men. METHODS: Color Doppler ultrasonography was performed in 545 infertile men with a mean age of 35.8 years to detect intrascrotal abnormalities. Findings were compared with those of physical examination. RESULTS: Intrascrotal abnormalities were detected by ultrasonography in 65.3% of patients. Of 374 abnormalities, 58.3% were undetected by physical examination. Left varicocele was found in 313 patients (57.4%); testicular microlithiasis in 30 (5.5%); epididymal cyst in 21 (3.9%); right varicocele in 4 (0.8%); and testicular cysts in 3 (0.6%). One occurrence each (0.2%) was found for testicular tumor, intrascrotal hemangioma, and hydrocele of the spermatic cord. Compared to ultrasonography, sensitivity in detecting left varicocele by physical examination was 58.4%; specificity, 79.3%; accuracy, 67.3%; and positive predictive value, 79.3%. Venous diameters in the pampiniform plexus were 3 mm or more in 61.5% of 130 subclinical left varicoceles. Of 30 patients with testicular microlithiasis, 14 had varicocele, 2 had epididymal cyst,s 3 had a history of mumps orchitis, 1 had retractile testis, and 1 had a history of orchiectomy for contralateral testicular tumor. CONCLUSIONS: The routine Color Doppler ultrasonography is valuable for diagnosing scrotal abnormalities in infertile men, frequently detecting non-palpable lesions.     

Diagnosis of pediatric varicoceles by physical examination and ultrasonography and measurement of the testicular volume: using the prader orchidometer versus ultrasonography

INTRODUCTION: The differentiation of unilateral versus bilateral varicoceles and testicular volume measurements are important in determining the need for adolescent varicocele surgery and also in following patients after varicocelectomy. The aim of this study was to prospectively compare the findings of physical examination and color Doppler ultrasonography in the diagnosis of pediatric varicoceles and to compare the findings using the Prader orchidometer and scrotal ultrasonography in the measurement of testicular volumes. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This study included 68 boys with varicoceles, ranging in age from 8 to 19 years. Varicoceles were diagnosed using both physical examination and scrotal color Doppler ultrasonography. The testicular volumes of 136 testicles were measured using the Prader orchidometer and scrotal ultrasonography. A difference of more than 10% or 2 ml in each testicular volume was considered significant. RESULTS: The mean age of the boys was 13.5 +/- 2.3 years. On physical examination, a left unilateral varicocele was diagnosed in 46 boys (67.6%). The other 22 boys (32.4%) had bilateral varicoceles. Color Doppler ultrasonography detected bilateral varicoceles in 4 of the 46 boys (8.7%) who were diagnosed by physical examination as having only left unilateral varicoceles (grade 3 in 3 patients and grade 2 in 1 patient). A different of more than 10% or 2 ml in testicular volume using the Prader orchidometer versus scrotal ultrasonography was detected in 3 out of 136 testicles (2.2%). The correlation between ultrasonography and Prader orchidometer results in the measurement of testicular volumes was statistically highly significantly consistent using the intraclass correlation test (r = 0.997 and p < 0.001 for the left testis; r = 0.998 and p < 0.001 for the right testis). CONCLUSIONS: Although the management of subclinical varicoceles remains controversial, these data show that color Doppler ultrasonography may be necessary in the diagnosis of bilateral varicoceles, especially in boys with high-grade left varicoceles. In contrast, scrotal ultrasonography, if considered the gold standard, did not show superiority over the Prader orchidometer in measuring testicular volumes.     

Scrotal ultrasound in the infertile man: detection of subclinical unilateral and bilateral varicoceles

Clinical and laboratory studies have provided convincing evidence that varicoceles are detrimental to spermatogenesis and that this effect is unrelated to their size. Thus, physicians have used diagnostic techniques other than physical examination to find these small but clinically significant varicoceles. Because scrotal sonography has proved to be invaluable to detect many intrascrotal abnormalities, and has the unique ability to visualize the testicle and surrounding structures, we used it to evaluate 50 infertile men. Of our 50 patients 22 had a clinically palpable left varicocele and 3 additional patients had bilateral varicoceles. All clinical varicoceles were confirmed by sonography. However, sonography also demonstrated a left varicocele in an additional 12 patients (34 of 50 or 68 per cent) and a right varicocele in 21 (a total of 24 or 48 per cent). Reflux on the right side always occurred in conjunction with that on the left side. Thus, among our 50 infertile men 24 of 34 (70 per cent) had bilateral varicoceles as detected by sonography, and 12 of 50 (24 per cent) had a subclinical varicocele on the left side. The high percentage of bilateral varicoceles detected by sonography may explain the pathophysiological mechanism by which what formerly was considered a unilateral anatomical abnormality may produce bilateral testicular dysfunction. It also may challenge us to change our present unilateral surgical approach to the patient with a clinically evident left varicocele.     

High prevalence of bilateral varicoceles confirmed with ultrasonography

Objective: To determine the incidence ofbilateral varicoceles in men presenting to asingle infertility clinic.Subjects and methods: From March 1999 toMarch 2000, 60 men presenting with an inabilityto initiate pregnancy (consecutive andunselected), were determined by clinical examto have varicoceles. These men were sent forcolor Doppler ultrasound to evaluate theincidence of varicocele bilaterality. Two menwith a solitary testis were excluded from thestudy.Results: Of the 58 men, 45 (77.5%) hadultrasound verified bilateral varicoceles. Inthe 13 remaining patients, 8 (13.8%) had aunilateral left varicocele, 4 (6.9%) had novaricoceles demonstrated by ultrasound, and asingle patient (1.7%) was reported to have aunilateral right varicocele.Conclusions: Routine scrotal ultrasoundprovides valuable information in the diagnosticevaluation of infertile men. Based onadvancements in diagnostic techniques,investigators have recently observed that theincidence of bilateral varicoceles to besignificantly greater than the previouslyreported. Our study demonstrated theincidence of bilaterality in infertile men tobe a substantial 77.5%. An overlooked rightvaricocele (whether subclinical or not) may bedetrimental to future fertility and needsfurther investigation.     

Is the presence of venous reflux really significant in the diagnosis of varicocele?

Objectives  We have attempted to determine the incidence of venous reflux detected by color Doppler in varicoceles of various grades evaluated during a physical examination. Patients and methods  The data of patients referred to our outpatient clinic between 1997 and 2007 with the diagnosis of varicocele due to complaints of scrotal pain, palpable swelling or infertility were retrospectively reviewed. The presence of venous reflux was compared with the grade of varicoceles during a physical examination. Results  A total of 802 male patients with a mean age of 27.1 years (range 16–52 years) were included in this study. Of these, physical examination reviewed that ten (1.2%), 72 (9.0%), 433 (54.0%) and 287 (35.8%) patients had grade 0, 1, 2 or 3 varicoceles, respectively, on the left side and that 607 (75.7%), 73 (9.1%), 108 (13.5%) and 14 (1.7%) patients had grade 0, 1, 2 or 3 varicoceles, respectively, on the right side. Color Doppler examination revealed venous reflux in three (30.0%) grade 0 testicular units, 63 (87.5%) grade 1 testicular units, 400 (92.4%) grade 2 testicular units and 273 (95.1%) grade 3 testicular units on the left side and venous reflux in 99 (16.3%) grade 0 testicular units, 54 (73.6%) grade 1 testicular units, 88 (81.5%) grade 2 testicular units and 12 (85.7%) grade 3 testicular units on the right side. Physical examination did not reveal any statistically significant correlation between the incidence of venous reflux and the grade of the clinically evident varicoceles for both sides. Conclusions  For assessing the severity of clinically evident varicoceles, the clinician should not use venous reflux as the sole predictor because of its high incidence in all grades of varicoceles. Additional measurements, such as flow volume, duration and velocity of reflux, are recommended as diagnostic tools for assessing the severity of varicocele more accurately.     

Hemodynamic studies on varicocele using bidirectional ultrasound Doppler sonography

At first the ultrasonic Doppler sonography is described in the evaluation of the retrograde venous blood flow in a varicocele. With the Doppler stethoscope the incidence of venous reflux amounted to 70% in young men aged from 19 to 22 years. At physical examination a palpable varicocele was detected in 55% of the cases. By the bidirectional technique you can define various haemodynamic types of varicoceles: "pressure-type" and "shunt-type". 205 patients with varicoceles were examined by bidirectional Doppler probe. The Doppler recording was correlated with the severity of varicocele. In small varicoceles the "pressure-type" is found most frequently, while in large varicoceles the "shunt-type" occurs.     

亚临床精索静脉曲张的诊治体会

对７５例体检正常的男性不育患者行高分辨彩色多普勒血流显像（ＣＤＦＩ）检查，发现亚临床精索静脉曲张（ＳＣＶ）４０例，其中左侧者２６例（６５％），双侧者１４例（３５％），行精索静脉高位结扎术３３例，行经皮精索胸脉栓塞术７例，术后３５例获得６个月随访，结果显示术后精子密度，精子活动率及正常形态精子率均明显改善，认为ＣＤＦＩ是诊断ＳＣＶ的一种简便，可靠的方法，其治疗应依据患者具有情况而定。     

Color doppler ultrasound criteria to diagnose varicoceles: correlation of a new scoring system with physical examination

Objectives

Color Doppler ultrasound (CDU) diagnostic criteria for varicoceles are poorly defined, and the role of CDU in diagnosing varicoceles is controversial. The purpose of this study is to assess the diagnostic accuracy of CDU for varicoceles compared to physical examination.

Methods

We prospectively studied 64 patients with CDU and collected the following data: maximum diameter of scrotal veins, the presence of a venous plexus, sum of the diameter of up to six veins of the plexus, and the duration and amplitude of flow change on Valsalva maneuver. To avoid interphysician variation, all patients were examined by one designated senior urologist with the sonographer remaining unaware of the findings.

Results

CDU parameters of 127 testis units in 64 patients were analyzed and compared to the physical findings. Fifty-nine testis units were positive and 57 units were negative for varicocele on physical examination. In 11 testis units, results of physical examination were inconclusive regarding the presence of varicocele. The commonly accepted CDU criterion for varicocele (maximal vein diameter of 3 mm or greater) had a sensitivity of 53% and specificity of 91% compared to physical examination. We developed a new scoring system incorporating the maximal venous diameter (score 0 to 3), the presence of a venous plexus and the sum of the diameters of veins in the plexus (score 0 to 3), and the change of flow on Valsalva maneuver (score 0 to 3). Using a total score of 4 or more to define the presence of CDU-positive varicocele, we observed a sensitivity of 93% and a specificity of 85% when compared to physical examination. All moderate to large varicoceles found on physical examination were positive by CDU diagnosis using the scoring system, but the same group had only a 68% positive rate by traditional CDU diagnostic criteria.

Conclusions

Using the proposed new scoring system, CDU has been shown to be a reliable and accurate method of diagnosis for varicoceles compared to the current reference standard physical examination. CDU has the advantages of being able to objectively examine venous plexus and measure blood flow parameters and to be less observer-dependent than physical examination. UROLOGY 50: 953-956, 1997.     

IS ROUTINE SCROTAL ULTRASOUND ADVANTAGEOUS IN INFERTILE MEN?

PURPOSE: We determine the value of routine scrotal ultrasonography in the evaluation of male infertility. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Scrotal color Doppler ultrasonography reports of 1,372 infertile men were reviewed to assess the prevalence of scrotal abnormalities and compared to clinical findings. RESULTS: The prevalence of scrotal abnormalities was 38%. Testicular tumor was found in 0.5%, varicocele in 29.7%, testicular cyst in 0.7%, testicular microlithiasis in 0.9%, epididymal cyst in 7.6% and hydrocele in 3.2% of the cases. Overall, 67% of sonography findings were not evident on palpation, and only 1 of 7 testicular tumors was suspected. Of the varicoceles 60% were not found on physical examination. The rate of testicular tumors (1/200) was higher than that reported for the general European population (1/20,000). CONCLUSIONS: Routine scrotal ultrasound provides valuable information in the diagnostic evaluation of infertile men and substantially more pathological conditions are detected compared to clinical palpation. The high prevalence of testicular malignancies underlines the clinical relevance of routine scrotal ultrasonography in infertile men.     

Semen and reproductive hormone parameters in fertile men with and without varicocele

Although varicoceles are a widely accepted identifiable male factor in infertile couples, the benefit of varicocele repair in improving pregnancy and live birth rates remains uncertain. The Study for Future Families obtained semen and reproductive hormone samples from US men whose partners were currently pregnant. In our analysis cohort of 709 men, a varicocele was detected by clinical examination in 56 (8%) of men. Men with varicocele had smaller left testis, and lower total and total motile sperm counts than men without varicocele. Gonadotropin levels were higher as well in men with varicocele. Interestingly, testosterone levels were also slightly higher in men with varicocele. Despite these differences, there was no difference between the groups in the time to achieve the study pregnancy or percentage of men with a previous pregnancy. We conclude that even in fertile men, varicoceles are associated with some degree of testicular hypofunction. This would support current recommendations to consider varicocele repair in male partners in infertile couples who demonstrate both a varicocele and abnormal semen parameters and after evaluation for treatable female factors.     

High inguinal loupe-assisted varicocelectomy for subfertile men with varicococeles: technical feasibility, clinical outcomes and complications

254 consecutive patients underwent high inguinal loupe-assisted varicocelectomy. All patients had at least a one year history of infertility with abnormal semen parameters and physical examination and/or color Doppler ultrasound proven varicocele. To facilitate the procedure, an x 3.0 loupe was used during spermatic cord dissection near or at level of internal inguinal ring. Semen analysis and physical examination were performed at 3 monthly intervals. No intra-operative complications occurred. The most common post-operative complications were transient scrotal pain and stitch reaction, occurring in 12% and 4% of men, respectively. Only one permanent and two transient hydroceles were observed. Recurrent or persistent varicocele was identified by physical examination and color Doppler in 5 varicocelectomies (1.4%), and by color Doppler only in 6 varicocelectomies (1.7%). Sperm motility increased from 30 +/- 8% to 46 +/- 20%, and sperm concentration. (10(6)/cc) increased from 24 +/- 18 to 41 +/- 28. The one-year pregnancy rate was 37%. High inguinal loupe-assisted varicocelectomy is a safe, simple, and effective treatment for varicocele.     

The role of color Doppler ultrasound in prediction of the outcome of microsurgical subinguinal varicocelectomy

PURPOSE: Overdiagnosis and undertreatment of varicocele may be responsible for the poor outcome of varicocelectomy. In this study we used color Doppler ultrasound for accurate diagnosis and grading of varicocele, and for predicting the outcome of microsurgical subinguinal varicocelectomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 104 patients undergoing microsurgical subinguinal varicocelectomy for treatment of infertility were included in this study. Patients were evaluated with routine history, physical examination, semen analysis, hormonal assessment and scrotal ultrasound, and Doppler. After varicocelectomy improvement index in sperm concentration was calculated by dividing the difference between the postoperative and preoperative sperm concentration by the preoperative sperm concentration. Improvement index greater than 0.5 is considered a good outcome. Statistical analysis was done to study the correlation between microsurgical varicocelectomy outcome and testicular vein diameter at the inferior pole of the testis, and the degree of reflux measured by color Doppler ultrasound. RESULTS: Improvement index in sperm concentration, motility and morphology more than 0.5 was achieved in 58.8%, 27.3% and 17.6% of cases, respectively. We found that patients with a testicular vein diameter at the inferior pole of the testis of more than 2.5 mm have a significantly higher improvement index in sperm concentration, motility and morphology than patients with a testicular vein diameter less than 2.5 mm (p = 0.006, 0.016 and 0.041, respectively). We also found that patients with clear reflux detected by color Doppler ultrasound at the inferior pole of the testis have a significantly higher improvement index in sperm concentration, motility and morphology than patients with reflux detected only in the supratesticular venous channels (p = 0.013, 0.015 and 0.045, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Color Doppler ultrasound is a useful tool for accurate diagnosis and grading of varicocele, and for predicting the outcome of varicocelectomy. We recommend varicocelectomy in cases of testicular vein diameter greater than 2.5 mm and in cases of reflux detected at the veins at the lower pole of the testis.     

Incidence and clinical significance of subclinical scrotal varicoceles

A total of 40 infertile men with a normal physical examination underwent gonadal venography to determine the presence of a subclinical varicocele. Of the patients 19 had a left and 3 had a right subclinical varicocele. A total of 21 patients underwent radiographic occlusion of the varicoceles, while 1 required surgical ligation of the internal spermatic vein. Of the 22 patients 13 have been followed for greater than 6 months after correction of the varicocele. In these patients there has been a small but significant increase in sperm number after varicocele occlusion. No significant changes in either sperm motility or morphology have occurred. Although most patients do not have any major improvement after occlusion of a subclinical varicocele, some may experience a significant improvement in sperm number after occlusion. The effect on pregnancy rates is not yet known.     

Intratesticular varicocele: evaluation using grey scale and color Doppler ultrasound

Intratesticular varicocele is a rare condition with a variable clinical and ultrasound presentation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the grey scale and color Doppler appearances of intratesticular varicocele (ITV). Herein we present seven new cases of intratesticular varicocele. From 2003 to 2005 we evaluated 342 patients referred to our department for routine andrological evaluation by scrotal color Doppler ultrasound. We detected seven entirely asymptomatic cases of ITV by use of grey scale ultrasound. In color Doppler sonography the patients showed retrograde blood flow, either spontaneously or during Valsalva manoeuvre. In all seven cases left side ITV with testicular volume disproportion between the right and left testis (2 ml) was found. Five patients had an extratesticular varicocele. In all patients the diameters of intratesticular vein were less than 2 mm. Intratesticular varicocele is a clinically occult lesion that may occur in association with extratesticular varicocele. Further investigations are needed to clarify its clinical significance, however, considering the temperature mediated damage on the affected testis, it is our opinion that all ITV must be considered for treatment even if an extratesticular varicocele is not present.     

Varicoceles: the diagnostic dilemma

Clinical examination of the scrotum remains the most commonly used technique to diagnose varicoceles. However, scrotal anatomy (eg, thick scrotum, scarring, hydrocele) in some men may make physical examination alone unreliable. In these situations, imaging (eg, ultrasound, Doppler imaging, venography) may be used to diagnose a varicocele. The dilemma is that there are no widely accepted or used criteria to diagnose a varicocele based on imaging. This paper reviews the different imaging techniques used and the accuracy of each in diagnosing a varicocele.     

Should varicoceles be treated in the adolescent? How?]

Adolescents rarely consult for painful varicocele. The condition has to be confirmed by physical examination and a detailed Doppler exam. An ultrasound may be necessary to measure the size of the testis. About 15% of all adolescents have varicoceles. One out of three is graded II or III in the Dubin and Amelar classification. About 20% of varicoceles graded III occur in association with testicular hypotrophy. We do not know whether boys with a varicocele will fertility problems later on, but only 13% of adult men with varicocele are infertile. Surgery can be considered as necessary only after studying a large number of patients, comparing at random patients operated at a young age and followed for 15-20 years with patients not operated and with a group of healthy controls. The best treatment has to be selected because of the low risk of testicular atrophy and the disappearance of the varicocele in more than 90% of the cases. Inguinal root with microsurgery, and pre or intra-operative radiologic opacifications are the usual choice of most pediatric surgeons. Laparoscopy or retroperitoneoscopy have no major impact on the postoperative results. They are expensive and require great experience. Embolization and other radiological techniques induce a long period of radiation, are not always possible, expensive and demand an experienced radiologist. General anesthesia is required because of the time involved and finally the success rate is low. Microsurgical venous reanastomosis is still confidential probably because of technical difficulties. Scrotal anterograde sclerotherapy is the simplest and cheapest treatment and can be performed with a local anesthetic due to the short time required. But like other procedures, it can induce testicular ischemia.     

Incidence of varicoceles in patients with ankylosing spondylitis evaluated by physical examination and color duplex sonography

Objectives. To assess the incidence of varicocele in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) in comparison to healthy age-matched controls.Methods. Twenty-one male patients with AS who were not taking disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (eg, sulfasalazine, a well-known cause of drug-induced infertility) and age-matched healthy controls were evaluated with both physical examination and color duplex sonography for varicocele. The maximal vein diameters of pampiniform plexus and duration of reflux were recorded. Semen samples were also analyzed in both groups.Results. Patients with AS had a higher incidence of clinical varicoceles (52%) compared with the healthy age-matched controls (20%). On color Doppler examination, 12 patients (57%) had varicocele (3 bilateral and 9 on the left side) and 6 controls had varicocele on the left side. The patients with AS had significantly greater vein diameters of pampiniform plexus on the left and right side compared with the controls.Conclusions. The incidence of varicocele is increased in patients with AS, and its clinical relevance needs to be evaluated.     

Relationship between Grade of Varicocele and the Response to Varicocelectomy

Background: Although several studies indicate that larger varicoceles are associated with greater impairment of spermatogenesis, others suggest that the response to surgery is independent of varicocele size. In order to elucidate these seeming contradictions, correlations between the preoperative evaluation of varicoceles and improvement in semen quality after varicocelectomy were investigated.
Methods: Forty men with left unilateral varicocele, followed for at least 6 months after varicocelectomy, were included in this study. The relationships between the grade of varicocele by palpation, Doppler examination, ultrasound, or scintigraphy were correlated with a postoperative improvement in sperm density or sperm motility.
Results: Greater improvement in sperm density was observed in the patients with a large varicocele graded by palpation or measured by ultrasound, and greater improvement in sperm motility was observed in the patients with high uptake of radioactivity in the left side by scrotal scintigraphy.
Conclusion: An improvement in semen quality after varicocelectomy is greater in patients with a large varicocele than in the patients with a small one. The significance of surgical repair of a small varicocele should be reconsidered.     

Multiparametric evaluation of testicular atrophy due to varicocele

63 men with palpable left varicoceles were evaluated by semen analysis, scrotal ultrasonography, Doppler sonography, scrotal contact thermography, and radionuclide scanning. 11 (17.4%) patients had bilateral varicoceles detected by scrotal ultrasonography as compared with an incidence of 3.1% by scrotal palpation. Testicular atrophy was found in 29 (46%) patients by scrotal ultrasonography. This was found to be 39.6% by scrotal palpation alone. In this study using advanced diagnostic procedures, the incidences of bilateral varicocele and testicular atrophy due to varicocele were found to be much higher than when scrotal palpation alone was performed.     

Elastography to assess the effect of varicoceles on testes: a prospective controlled study

Varicoceles are the most common and treatable cause of male infertility. The pathophysiology of varicoceles primarily includes elevated temperature, adrenal hormone reflux, gonadotoxic metabolite reflux, altered testicular blood flow, antisperm antibody formation and oxidative stress. The diagnosis of a varicocele is mainly clinical. However, a Doppler ultrasound is used to obtain clinical data and to more accurately measure testicular size. Acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) is an additional technique to simultaneously show different areas with different densities in a colour‐coded image and a B‐mode or greyscale image. This can be used for structural analysis of testicular tissue and has become an additional method for detecting pathologic tissue alterations. We enrolled 30 patients who had clinically diagnosed with left varicoceles and male infertility (Group 1). All patients were evaluated by history taking, physical examination, a spermiogram and an endocrine profile. Thirty control patients (Group 2) were randomly chosen from patients who had applied to an andrology clinic for infertility; their physical examinations and laboratory results showed normal findings. Mean elastography results were significantly different between the groups, and significantly lower in patients who had varicoceles. The relationship between hormonal profiles and elastography parameters was calculated as statistically significant negative correlations between FSH and elasticity. Additionally, a negative correlation was determined between varicocele grade and elasticity of testes. In conclusion, our prospective study showed that ARFI imaging may be more useful than palpation for determining early damage of testicular structure by varicoceles.