Spermatic Vein Doppler Examination in the Investigation of Male Infertility

Abstract

Clinical and laboratory studies have provided convincing evidence that varicoceles are detrimental to spermatogenesis and that this effect is unrelated to their size. Doppler ultrasound was used to evaluate 364 infertile men: 241 (66%) of them had a clinically palpable varicocele and the Doppler detected a subclinical varicocele in 167 patients. Fifty-five percent of patients with a clinical left varicocele were found to have a right varicocole too on ultrasound examina tion. The pregnancy rate after variococelectomy was high for the female partners of patients who had a positive Doppler examination for varicocele whether the varicocele was clinically evident or not. The high percentage of subclinical varicoceles and the good results of surgery show the importance of this exami nation in the investigation of male infertility.