Varicocele is a varicose vein of the spermatic cord, its cluster-like plexus. Until now, it has not been clarified how the mechanism of spermatogenesis is disrupted, whether varicocele leads to infertility, what is the optimal age for surgical treatment of varicocele, and others.
Thirty percent of people who suffer from infertility have this disease. One of the first places among the causes of male infertility is precisely the varicocele, the symptoms of which are erased so much that they can be detected for the first time only during examination during an examination for infertility. Only ten percent of people with varicocele experience either pain in the scrotum or discomfort in the spermatic cord, which usually increases after exercise.
Most often, varicocele develops on the left (up to eighty percent of cases), less often - bilateral varicocele, and right-sided occurs only in four percent of cases. With age, its symptoms become more frightening, for example, hypoplasia (decrease in size) of the testicle develops, which can end with its complete atrophy, possibly also impaired spermatogenesis, impotence is not ruled out.
The most common classification of this disease among practitioners:
- varicocele of the 1st degree - during palpation of the scrotum, a positive result is noted on the Valsalva test, but the expansion of the veins in the spermatic cord is not palpated;
- second degree - varicose veins with palpation of the scrotum are palpated easily;
- third degree - varicose veins are well defined even during a visual examination.
By the way, the degree of varicocele is in no way associated with the degree of violation of spermatogenesis, which means that even with its first degree, the spermogram can be significantly violated, which means that surgical intervention will be required to treat this disease.
Varicocele. Symptoms
This disease occurs in most cases almost asymptomatic, but it is worth paying attention to some signs that indicate possible troubles in the near future:
- sagging scrotum, which becomes most noticeable during walking and in hot weather;
- a feeling of heaviness in the scrotum and groin;
- drawing, dull pains in the groin, in the testicle and along the entire length of the spermatic cord during walking and when lifting weights;
- constant general weakness, growing disability;
- disorders in the genital area, decreased testicle;
- deterioration of the appearance of the scrotum (unaesthetic).
Dull, pulling or stitching pain and a burning sensation of the testicle, radiating to the perineum, lower back and penis, can also join.
In the diagnosis of varicocele, symptoms and complaints may not help, only after a violation of the spermogram, that is, after the onset of complications, the presence of this disease is revealed. Therefore, for the timely diagnosis, the complexity of the examination is important, namely:
- history taking;
- physical examination;
- laboratory tests, which include, in addition to spermograms, a study of hormone levels;
- also, according to indications, an ultrasound examination is performed.
Varicocele does not necessarily lead to infertility, but such a complication is entirely possible. The course of this disease can be divided into three conditional stages:
1) From sixteen to twenty-five years. Normospermia: if there are any small changes in the quality of sperm, then they do not affect the possibility of conception.
2) From twenty five to thirty five years. Unstable pathospermia: a spermogram can either worsen, improve, or conceive a child naturally if the period of improvement in sperm quality coincides with the period of ovulation in the partner.
3) Persistent pathospermia: sperm quality is steadily reduced, it is impossible to conceive naturally.
Given that there are such formidable complications, it is necessary to identify a varicocele, whose symptoms may not even bother, as soon as possible turn to a specialist for help.