Varicocele; It means the expansion of the veins in the bags called scrotum, where the testicles are located. It is important because it can cause infertility and pain in men. The general incidence rate is . This condition, which is rarely seen in children under the age of 10, becomes increasingly common towards adolescence. While varicocele is often seen on the left, it is very rare to see it alone on the right side.
While varicocele develops during the period when growth accelerates, the mechanism of this condition is still not explained. Damage to the testicle where varicocele is located occurs due to three mechanisms: temperature increase, androgen deprivation and accumulation of toxic metabolites.
Since it is mostly asymptomatic in adolescence, varicocele is often detected by families. Families consult doctors with findings such as softening of testicular consistency, regression in testicular development, loss of volume and deterioration of cosmetic appearance. It has been reported that affected children may rarely experience pain.
The best method for diagnosing varicocele is an examination by an experienced doctor. Physical examination should be performed in a warm environment with the patient in a standing or lying position. During the examination, special attention should be paid to testicular volumes and the size of the affected testicle should be compared with the opposite side testicle.
There is no routine use of color Doppler ultrasonography in every case for diagnostic purposes. Ultrasound can be used to evaluate testicular volume in patients with advanced varicocele. Hypotrophy is defined as testicular volume below 2 ml and a decrease of more than 20% in testicular volume compared to the opposite testicle, which is a very important intervention (surgery) criterion.
Although it is known that varicocele disrupts sperm parameters, puberty Since it is not possible to look at spermiogram in the age group, it is necessary to wait for the appropriate age and therefore spermiogram cannot be widely used in the evaluation of patients, TESTIC SHRINKAGE and/or PAIN are accepted as intervention criteria.
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