We evaluated by angiodynography 228 patients with clinical and 107 with subclinical varicocele and 22 normal subjects studying vein dilatation and reflux peak flow velocity (PFV).
PFV was 18 cm/sec in subclinical varicocele, significantly lower than in clin ical varicocele (24 cm/sec). The mean reverse flow (reflux) was also significant ly lower in subclinical varicocele.
The study demonstrated that there is a good correlation between the mean duration of reflux (in seconds) and the quantity of reverse flow measured by angiodynography.
The correlation between descending phlebography and angiodynography, in a randomly selected group of 69 patients was 100% both in clinical and subclin ical varicocele.
In conclusion, angiodynography could be considered the best noninvasive technique to evaluate and quantify varicocele and the effects of treatment on venous dynamics.
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