Clinical study of varicocele: Statistical analysis and the results of long-term follow-up

BACKGROUND: The results of clinical examinations of varicocele and the clinical outcome of varicocelectomy conducted at Tsukuba University Hospital, Tsukuba City, Japan were analyzed. METHODS: The subjects of the present study were sixty-four infertile male patients with varicocele who visited our hospital from 1991 to 1999. A physical examination, semen analysis and hormonal evaluation were performed for each patient. Patients selected their preferred type of treatment (varicocelectomy or conservative treatment) after providing their informed consent. RESULTS: The age of the patients was 34.1 +/- 5.1(mean +/- standard deviation [s.d.]) years, and the infertile duration was 4.2 +/- 3.0 (mean +/- s.d.) years. Fifty-one cases were left-sided; 13 were bilateral. Mean sperm density ( yen 106/mL) was 37.2 for Grade I, 21.3 for Grade II and 9.4 for Grade III. Sperm density was significantly lower in the higher-graded patients (P = 0.008). Varicocelectomy was performed in 31 cases; the postoperative/preoperative ratio of sperm density was significantly higher in the higher-graded varicocele (P = 0.04), and the peak/base ratio of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) after luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LH-RH) stimulation was significantly decreased after varicocelectomy (P = 0.007). The pregnancy rate in the partners of the varicocelectomized group (60%) was significantly higher than in the conservatively treated group (28%) P = 0.04; the mean follow-up duration was 76.2 months. CONCLUSION: These results show that varicocele should influence spermatogenesis, therefore altered spermatogenesis could be effectively treated by varicocelectomy, and varicocelectomy should induce a higher probability of pregnancy.