Varicocele

A condition characterized by the dilated tortuous veins of the SPERMATIC CORD with a marked left-sided predominance. Adverse effect on male fertility occurs when varicocele leads to an increased scrotal (and testicular) temperature and reduced testicular volume.

Also Known As:

Varicoceles

Networked: 2061 relevant articles (175 outcomes, 377 trials/studies)

Relationship Network

Disease Context: Research Results

Related Diseases

1.	Infertility (Sterility)
2.	Varicocele
3.	Male Infertility (Male Sterility)
4.	Pain (Aches)
5.	Oligospermia (Oligozoospermia)

Experts

1.	Agarwal, Ashok: 42 articles (10/2021 - 05/2003)
2.	Tavalaee, Marziyeh: 20 articles (05/2022 - 08/2014)
3.	Goldstein, Marc: 20 articles (01/2022 - 11/2004)
4.	Nasr-Esfahani, Mohammad Hossein: 14 articles (05/2022 - 08/2014)
5.	Mostafa, Taymour: 14 articles (02/2022 - 06/2006)
6.	Mostafa, T: 14 articles (01/2018 - 10/2001)
7.	Ramasamy, Ranjith: 13 articles (01/2022 - 12/2006)
8.	Esteves, Sandro C: 13 articles (01/2021 - 01/2011)
9.	Razi, Mazdak: 12 articles (09/2020 - 10/2011)
10.	Fujisawa, Masato: 11 articles (01/2016 - 06/2002)

Drugs and Biologics

Drugs and Important Biological Agents (IBA) related to Varicocele:

1.	AntioxidantsIBA 10/01/2011 - "The detrimental effect of varicocele may be attributed to the significant reduction of antioxidant capacity of the serum." 01/01/2016 - "The intake of oral antioxidants, varicocele repair, use of recurrent ejaculations alone or combined with micromanipulation-based sperm selection techniques, and the use of testicular sperm for intracytoplasmic sperm injection have been attempted with promising results. " 11/01/2022 - "Improvement in sperm quality by oral antioxidant supplementation in infertile men with varicocele who have not undergone surgical repair: Systematic review and meta-analysis." 07/01/2021 - "Of the 14 studies, 2 explored the effect of antioxidant supplementation in patients with non-operated varicocele, 1 compared antioxidants versus surgical repair of varicocele, while 11 explored antioxidants after surgical repair of varicocele and were also included in the meta-analysis. " 01/01/2021 - "In this study, we aimed to verify if the varicocele is associated with changes in antioxidant defense and semen oxidation in 90 adolescents with and without varicocele. "
2.	DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid)IBA 10/01/2017 - "Moreover, varicocele is highly associated with DNA fragmentation due to the oxidative stress and it has been demonstrated that surgical repair of varicocele ameliorates oxidative stress markers and consequently the sperm DNA integrity. " 02/01/2021 - "Sperm DNA integrity of clinical varicocele patients was significantly improved following varicocelectomy. " 01/01/2015 - "In 15 out of 75 varicocele patients, clinical pregnancy was diagnosed; those with positive pregnancy outcome had significant improvement in sperm count, progressive sperm motility, and sperm DNA fragmentation, but there was no significant difference in sperm DNA condensation compared to negative pregnancy outcome patients. " 10/01/2012 - "Significant improvement of sperm DNA quality after microsurgical repair of varicocele." 04/01/2006 - "DNA fragmentation index (DFI) (percentage of sperm with denatured DNA) values and the percentage of TUNEL-positive cells were significantly greater in patients with varicocele, either with normal (DFI, 20.7 +/- 4.0; TUNEL positive, 26.1 +/- 3.2) or with abnormal (DFI, 35.5 +/- 9.0; TUNEL positive, 32.2 +/- 4.1) semen profile, compared with controls (DFI, 7.1 +/- 0.9; TUNEL positive, 14.2 +/- 1.2). "
3.	Testosterone (Sustanon)FDA Link 02/01/2023 - "Modified Palomo procedure can be used to treat varicocele with good improvement in serum testosterone levels and semen parameters." 07/01/2018 - "Varicocele is associated with the diminishing of total testosterone and T:E ratio, which were significantly improved after subsequent subinguinal varicocelectomy." 03/01/2018 - "It is concluded that effective treatment of varicocele restores normal supply of testosterone to the prostate solely via its arterial supply, resulting in significant decrease of prostate volume and prostatic symptoms. " 08/01/2011 - "Of additional interest is a study of serum testosterone levels in men after varicocelectomy, the first of its kind to stratify data by patient age and to address whether varicocele repair is effective in improving testosterone levels in older men. " 12/01/2020 - "To investigate effect of microsurgical varicocele repair on sexual functions and serum total testosterone level in infertile hypogonadal men with varicocele, and also to determine factors that might predict improvement in total testosterone level after surgery. "
4.	Biomarkers (Surrogate Marker)IBA 04/01/2012 - "These knowledges collectively promote our belief that information from future experiments designed to further study MTA1 during spermatogenesis will provide a scientific basis for the development of a novel biomarker for early diagnosis of testicular detriment in varicoceles, which should lead to improved outcomes in this progressive pathology." 06/01/2020 - "The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of platelet count (PLT) and platelet volume indices (PVI) such as mean platelet volume (MPV), platelet distribution width (PDW) and plateletcrit (PCT) as a clinical biomarker in 64 infertile males with varicocele and 45 controls. " 04/01/2010 - "This study aimed to evaluate the differences in biochemical markers and body mass index (BMI) between patients with and without varicocele. " 10/09/2023 - "Consequently, we showed TET2 upregulation and the 5-hmC gain at testicular levels are associated with varicocele and sperm quality decline, and therefore they can be exploited as potential biomarkers of spermatogenesis." 08/25/2023 - "Identification of novel biomarkers for varicocele using iTRAQ LC-MS/MS technology."
5.	Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone (GnRH)FDA Link 11/01/1998 - "A positive preoperative GnRH test is a good predictor of improvement in semen parameters and pregnancy after varicocele surgery. " 06/01/2004 - "Our data showed that the FSH response to bolus GnRH stimulation does not predict improvement in semen parameters or unassisted pregnancy outcome in couples in whom the man undergoes varicocelectomy (for treatment of varicocele). " 09/01/2002 - "The response to GnRH stimulation can predict a positive outcome of surgical treatment of infertile patients with varicocele. " 06/15/2019 - "Immunofluorescence was conducted to investigate the expressions of GnRH and VP in experimental left varicocele (ELV) rats and ELV repair rats. " 09/01/2006 - "In all, 102 GnRH tests were done in men with a left-sided varicocele. "
6.	Hormones (Hormone)IBA 10/23/2023 - "This study revealed that LRHC had protective effects on spermatogenic disturbance caused by varicocele through regulating hormones and reducing spermatogenic cell apoptosis under hpoxia conditions." 01/01/2021 - "Dracaena arborea (Dracaenaceae) Increases Sexual Hormones and Sperm Parameters, Lowers Oxidative Stress, and Ameliorates Testicular Architecture in Rats with 3 Weeks of Experimental Varicocele." 01/01/2021 - "Through the study of a recent work on the association between varicocele, hormones, and semen analysis, we comment on new results related to the management of varicocele in pediatric age In this new study, it has been reported that there is a correlation between abnormal semen analysis and FSH value, an association between abnormal semen analysis and other hormonal values (i.e. " 02/01/2019 - "The aim of this study was to evaluate the structural changes in testicles of the patients with varicocele by strain elastography (SE) and to identify the relationship between semen analysis and hormone levels considering SE results. " 01/01/2017 - "Joensen, Elisabeth Carlsen, et al. Varicocele Is Associated with Impaired Semen Quality and Reproductive Hormone Levels: A Study of 7035 Healthy Young Men from Six European Countries. "
7.	inhibin BIBA 01/01/2016 - "Patients with varicocele showed reduced levels of inhibin B compared to controls and a significant reduction in the testicular volume on the affected side. " 02/01/2007 - "Patients with varicocele showed a significant reduction in the testicular volume of the affected side (13.3 +/- 4.1 vs 15.8 +/- 4.8 mL; P = .002) and significant reduced levels of inhibin B compared with controls (271.9 +/- 70.2 vs 327.1 +/- 34.9 pg/mL; P = .042). " 01/01/2016 - "To study the impact on adult's fertility of serum inhibin B levels in adolescent patients with idiopathic varicocele after minimally invasive surgical correction and to compare fluctuation of pituitary-testis hormonal values and testicular volumes. " 06/10/2010 - "In this study, we measured serum level of inhibin B in patients with varicocele and through comparing pre and post operative semen analysis data, we tried to use serum level of inhibin B as a predictor of spermatogenetic improvement. " 01/01/2008 - "This study evaluated the effect of varicocelectomy on serum inhibin B levels and semen parameters in infertile patients with varicocele. "
8.	salicylhydroxamic acid (SHAM)IBA 10/01/2008 - "At 1 and 2 months after creation of the varicocele or sham operation, the apoptosis rate in the left varicocele group was significantly greater than in the sham group (P <0.001) or in the right testicles (P <0.001). " 10/01/2023 - "In this study, 48 male Wistar rats randomly divided into 8 groups: normal, sham, normal+RES (20 and 50mg/kg), varicocele, varicocele+ethanol and varicocele+RES (20 and 50mg/kg). " 04/01/2020 - "In our study, Wistar male rats were randomly divided into three groups as control, varicocele, and sham. " 01/01/2019 - "For this study, 30 Wistar rats were randomly divided into three groups: Control group (I); sham-operated group (II) and left varicocele group (III). " 11/01/2018 - "In this study, surgical varicocele was induced in 30 adult male Wistar rats with other 20 rats serving as sham-operated and nonoperated control. "
9.	Carnitine (L-Carnitine)FDA LinkGeneric 10/01/2014 - "Although surgical treatment has been the best option for management of varicocele, auxiliary agents like L-carnitine may be considered as supportive treatment regimes in addition to conventional surgical treatments." 04/01/2016 - "Based on the results of this study, we can say that medicinal treatment by administration of oral L-Carnitine is as effective as varicocelectomy in improving semen parameters and can be used as an alternative to surgery for varicocele grade II." 10/02/2020 - "Inclusion criteria were studies reported outcomes of L-carnitine administration alone or in duet, as primary or adjuvant treatment to varicocele. " 01/01/2022 - "Seminal L-Carnitine In Infertile Oligoasthenoteratozoospermic Men with Varicocele." 10/02/2020 - "L-carnitine might be taken into consideration in selected cases; however, further search is needed in order the optimal role of L-carnitine in infertile patients with varicocele to be clarified."
10.	ChromatinIBA 04/01/2011 - "There is a significant increase of abnormal sperm chromatin condensation in infertile men with varicocele that is markedly improved after varicocelectomy." 08/09/2021 - "Varicocele embolization significantly improved sperm concentration, motility, and morphology mean values, as well as sperm chromatin integrity. " 01/01/2016 - "In this study, we evaluate the levels of DNA damage in infertile patients with varicocele with respect to fertile males by the sperm chromatin dispersion (SCD) test. " 08/01/2007 - "To study the influence of varicocele on sperm chromatin structure and sperm motility. " 05/01/2006 - "The aim of this study was to evaluate postoperative changes in sperm chromatin heterogeneity in varicocele patients. "

Therapies and Procedures

1.	Ligation 10/01/2017 - "The surgical ligation of varicoceles under microscopy can be safely performed by a skilled andrologist with most patients subsequently experiencing an improvement in semen quality. " 04/01/2015 - "Regarding varicocele, which is commonly seen in infertile males, it is now clear that the best treatment option for infertile men with clinical varicocele is the microsurgical vein ligation. " 12/01/2012 - "• To investigate whether anogenital distance (AGD) can identify men most likely to show improved semen parameters after varicocele ligation, as AGD has been shown to correlate with intrinsic adult testicular function. " 06/01/2012 - "The best results of varicocele surgery in terms of recurrence and postoperative hydrocele were achieved by open mass ligation; however, larger prospective studies are warranted." 01/01/2003 - "High inguinal ligation is effective in the treatment of painful varicocele in highly selected patients. "
2.	Sclerotherapy 01/01/2023 - "Both scrotal antegrade sclerotherapy and laparoscopic Palomo surgery are safe and effective procedures for treatment of adolescent varicocele with significant positive effect on testicular catch-up growth. " 04/01/2002 - "Antegrade sclerotherapy is the less invasive treatment method of male varicocele with lower costs and better outcome and should therefore be the preferred treatment method for male varicocele." 01/01/2007 - "This study investigated whether the therapeutic efficacy and morbidity of three minimally invasive techniques for varicocele correction--laparoscopic varicocelectomy (LV), antegrade sclerotherapy (AS), and retrograde embolization (RE)--differed between children and adults. " 01/18/2023 - "Antegrade sclerotherapy (Tauber) effectively treats varicocele. " 12/01/2016 - "Tauber's antegrade sclerotherapy is a simple and feasible technique, effective in treating all kinds of varicocele with low complication, recurrence, and persistence rates. "
3.	Therapeutics 11/01/2022 - "Many therapies are effective in treating varicoceles, including dilation of the pampiniform plexus in males. " 01/01/2003 - "Our study confirms that percutaneous therapy of varicocele may lead to improved spermatogenesis in the majority of patients." 01/01/1999 - "Our study confirms that percutaneous therapy of varicocele may lead to improved spermatogenesis in the majority of patients." 03/01/2017 - "Objective To observe the effect of needle pricking therapy on rheological indices and efficacy for infertile patients with varicocele (VC). " 03/01/2017 - "[Effect of Needle Pricking Therapy on Rheological Indices and Efficacy for Infertile Patients with Varicocele]."
4.	Length of Stay 04/01/2016 - "Microscopic varicocelectomy is superior to inguinal,Palomo and laparoscopic varicocelectomy procedures in the treatment of varicocele for its lower incidence of complications, higher rate of sperm quality improvement,and shorter length of hospital stay. " 05/01/2019 - "Both OBE and LL are safe and effective procedures in the treatment of varicocele, conceding OBE a slight advantage in terms of hospital stay and full recovery to normal activity of patients." 04/01/1995 - "This is a safe and effective nonsurgical method of obliterating varicoceles in children, with a low morbidity rate and a short hospital stay." 12/01/2016 - "The length of hospital stay and postoperative rehabilitation period were shorter in patients after Marmars varicocelectomy than in patients of group 2. Besides, Marmar technique for varicocele was cost-effective and justified." 09/01/2018 - "We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data on 310 cases of varicocele treated in our hospital from January 2011 to March 2016, 162 (64 with infertility) by LV with preservation of the testis artery and lymph vessel and the other 148 (69 with infertility) by MV. We followed up the patients for 12 months and made comparisons between the two groups in the operation time, hospital stay, hospital costs, recurrence rate, incidence of complications, and semen quality before and at 3 and 6 months after surgery, and spontaneous pregnancy rate at 12 months postoperatively. "
5.	Aftercare (After-Treatment) 11/01/2004 - "Only baseline degree of severity in the alteration of seminal parameters showed statistically significant differences in the evaluation of semen quality after treatment of varicocele (p = 0.001 and p = 0.002). " 11/01/2004 - "We mainly focus on randomized placebo-controlled prospective studies the aim of which was to evaluate the improvement in semen quality and/or pregnancy rates in subfertile/infertile couples after treatment of varicocele. " 12/01/1994 - "The diagnosis of persisting or recurring varicocele at this time does not seem to be justified, however, as in our study both further improvement and deterioration were observed up to 12 months after treatment. " 12/01/2023 - "Comparing patients with and without varicoceles revealed more changes in semen parameters after treatment in those with varicoceles. " 03/01/2022 - "These results allow us to conclude that the course of BESTFertil in patients after treatment of varicocele allows to achieve a clinically and statistically significant increase in spermogram indicators such as ejaculate volume, its concentration, sperm motility and the number of morphologically normal forms, which can help patients achieve natural pregnancy or resort to assisted reproductive technologies."