The clinical utility of this, however, is debatable at the present. Repair of varicocele will halt any further damage to testicular hormone function and in a large percentage of men, result in improved spermatogenesis, as well as enhanced Leydig cell function. The potentially important role of urologists in preventing future infertility underscores the importance of utilizing a varicocelectomy technique that minimizes the risk of complications and recurrence. Diagnosis Physical exam Varicoceles are typically diagnosed by physical exam . They are most easily detected when the patient has been standing in a warm room for several minutes.
Most experts agree that only varicoceles detected by physical exam are clinically significant.
Therefore, confirmatory testing, as described below, is usually not necessary except under certain circumstances. Seminal fluid analysis Varicoceles are usually associated with abnormalities in all of the seminal parameters rather than isolated abnormalities. However, they can also cause isolated defects in sperm count, motility, morphology, or function. This utilizes well-defined parameters in order to assess sperm morphology. Several groups have demonstrated that varix repair will improve strict morphology in certain patients.