In a venography, a contrast dye is injected into the renal vein outlining the spermatic vein to see how well the blood flows around the testes. Scrotal thermography, which uses infrared light to detect temperature gradients in the testicles, can also confirm a varicocele. In some cases, varicoceles are too small to palpitate by hand. Varicocele is a particularly common problem for men who are experiencing secondary infertility, where they have already fathered one or more children but cannot father additional children. Varicoceles cause low sperm counts and poor morphology and may even interfere with testosterone levels.
Varicoceles are treatable with microsurgery.
During this exam, honest answers to tough questions may also help to pinpoint sexual disorders that interfere with ejaculation. Checking Out Azoospermia and Oligospermia Azoospermia or oligospermia are often caused by structural problems that exist within the seminal vesicles and testes. In azoospermia, the first step is always a urinalysis to rule out retrograde ejaculation. Normal seminal vesicles should also add fructose to the semen. When there's no sign of fructose, this indicates that there's a problem with the vas deferens or seminal vesicles, or it could also be a sign of retrograde ejaculation.