Subclinical varicocele: is there any need for diagnosis and treatment?

ABSTRACT

This study was done to assess whether there is any benefit from diagnosis and treatment of subclinical varicocele in infertile men with poor semen quality. A total of 208 infertile men without clinical varicocele was examined by color duplex imaging [CDI] and 61 of them were diagnosed to have subclinical varicocele [SCV]. SCV patients were randomly assigned into two groups. Postoperative [one year] spermiogram in group II showed a significant increase in sperm count, but no changes were found in sperm motility and morphology. In group I, sperm parameters remained unchanged after one year of follow up. The pregnancy rate in group I was 13% compared with 14.8% in group II with no significant difference between them. It was concluded that diagnosis and treatment of SCV provided no benefit to infertile men with a poor semen quality