Abstract
Introduction: The aim of this article was to evaluate the concomitance of symptomatic varicose veins and varicoceles in a young male patient group.
Method: The study was conducted as a prospective, multicentre study in the cardiovascular outpatient clinics of two major military hospitals. The data of 1500 young male patients with symptomatic venous insufficiency were recorded regarding symptomatic varicoceles.
Results: The median age of the patients was 21.2 ± 1.3 years. Symptomatic varicocele was a concomitant finding in 46.0% of the patients. In patients with chronic venous insufficiency, higher body mass index, high levels of smoking, standing occupation, positive family history, longer duration of symptoms and constipation were found as potential factors for concomitant varicocele in both univariate and multivariate analysis. A statistically significant, moderately positive correlation was found between grades of venous reflux in saphenofemoral junction and varicocele (Spearman's rho correlation r = 0.637, P <0.001).
Conclusion: With the observation that varicoceles may be concomitant in nearly half of patients with venous insufficiency, it is thought that just a simple question in history taking may help these patients to be diagnosed and get treated for this potential cause of infertility.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.