ABSTRACT
Introduction: Varicocele is an abnormal tortuosity and dilatation of the testicular veins within the spermatic cord. Varicocele is approximately found in 15% of the general population, despite of the high relatively prevalence of varicocele in the general population, and its association with impaired spermatogenesis and steroid genesis, the paucity available of information and majority of studies were centralized on pathophysiology, methods and results of Varicocele reparation. Regarding to the potential inheritance pattern, we desided to perform this study
Objective: Evaluate the hereditary behavior of varicocele through comparison of prevalence of disease in firstdegree relatives of patients with known varicocele and normal healthy kidney donation volunteers
Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional study; Sixty-two patients with known varicocele who were admitted for surgery in Razi hospital between September 2005 and October 2006 were enrolled in the study. Their healthy available first -degree relatives [N=88] were asked to refer and examin. A group of 100 men who were refered for voluntary kidney donation were selected as control group and were assessed for varicocele
Results: Among the 88 first -degree relatives of patients with a known varicocele, 40 cases [45.4%] and 11 cases [11%] of 100 men in control group had a clinically palpable varicocele on physical examination. There was a statistically different. Between two groups among the first-degree relatives, 32 cases [55.1%] of 58 brothers, 8 cases [26.6%] of 30 fathers had palpable varicocele
Conclusion: Clinical varicoceles are more prevalent among first-degree relatives [particularly brothers] of patients with known varicoceles and may be an indicator of hereditary behavior of the disease and necessity of screening for male family members