Can Ultrasound Findings be a Good Predictor of Sperm Parameters in Patients With Varicocele? A Cross-Sectional Study

BACKGROUND Varicocele, one of the most common causes of sperm abnormalities in men, is the dilation of the testicular vein (the pampiniform venous plexus) by more than 2 mm. Ultrasonography is the primary imaging procedure for varicocele diagnosis. The venous diameter is evaluated using B-mode sonography, and venous reflux is assessed using color Doppler sonography. OBJECTIVES In this study, we investigated the association of ultrasound findings with sperm parameters in patients with varicocele. METHODS Ninety-nine patients with clinically diagnosed varicocele were included in this study, which was performed at a university imaging center. Patients were evaluated for pampiniform venous plexus diameter, venous reflux, and testicular size on both sides. Semen analysis was performed for all patients. The ultrasonography parameters and semen analysis data were compared to assess the correlations between the results. RESULTS The semen analysis parameters, including semen volume and sperm morphology, count, and motility, significant correlations with the diameter of the varicocele vein but were not correlated with testes size. In addition, the patients with reflux of longer than 1 s and those with reflux of less than 1 s had significant differences in sperm parameters and varicocele size. CONCLUSIONS Our study showed that ultrasonography findings can be a good predictor of sperm parameters in patients with varicocele.