Book contents
- Infertility in the Male
- Infertility in the Male
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Contributors
- Foreword
- Abbreviations
- Introduction
- Section 1 Scientific Foundations of Male Infertility
- Section 2 Clinical Evaluation of the Infertile Male
- Chapter 7 Infertility as a Metric of Men’s Health
- Chapter 8 Office Evaluation of the Subfertile Male
- Chapter 9 Evaluation of the Infertile Male’s Partner
- Chapter 10 Imaging the Male Reproductive System
- Chapter 11 Effects of Environmental Chemicals on Male Reproduction
- Chapter 12 Endocrine Causes of Male Infertility – Diagnosis and Treatment
- Chapter 13 Spermatogenesis – Diagnosis of Normal and Abnormal States
- Chapter 14 Inheritance and Male Fertility
- Chapter 15 The Varicocele – Approaches to Diagnosis and Management
- Chapter 16 Infection, Inflammation, and Immunological Causes of Male Infertility
- Section 3 Laboratory Diagnosis of Male Infertility
- Section 4 Treatment of Male Infertility
- Section 5 Health Care Systems and Culture
- Index
- References
Chapter 15 - The Varicocele – Approaches to Diagnosis and Management
from Section 2 - Clinical Evaluation of the Infertile Male
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 08 July 2023
Book contents
- Infertility in the Male
- Infertility in the Male
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Contributors
- Foreword
- Abbreviations
- Introduction
- Section 1 Scientific Foundations of Male Infertility
- Section 2 Clinical Evaluation of the Infertile Male
- Chapter 7 Infertility as a Metric of Men’s Health
- Chapter 8 Office Evaluation of the Subfertile Male
- Chapter 9 Evaluation of the Infertile Male’s Partner
- Chapter 10 Imaging the Male Reproductive System
- Chapter 11 Effects of Environmental Chemicals on Male Reproduction
- Chapter 12 Endocrine Causes of Male Infertility – Diagnosis and Treatment
- Chapter 13 Spermatogenesis – Diagnosis of Normal and Abnormal States
- Chapter 14 Inheritance and Male Fertility
- Chapter 15 The Varicocele – Approaches to Diagnosis and Management
- Chapter 16 Infection, Inflammation, and Immunological Causes of Male Infertility
- Section 3 Laboratory Diagnosis of Male Infertility
- Section 4 Treatment of Male Infertility
- Section 5 Health Care Systems and Culture
- Index
- References
Summary
A varicocele is an abnormal dilation of the veins within the testicular pampiniform plexus. Varicoceles can be found in approximately 15 percent of the general male population and are more prevalent in men presenting with subfertility or infertility [1, 2]. Forty percent of men being evaluated for infertility may be found to have a varicocele, and varicoceles have been implicated in as many as 80 percent of men presenting with secondary infertility [2, 3]. In fact, varicoceles remain the most common reversible cause of male infertility [4]. Additionally, the inheritance of varicoceles may be genetically linked, as 56 percent of men with a first-degree relative diagnosed with a known varicocele will also have a varicocele, independent of varicocele grade or laterality [5]. With the large variability in varicocele phenotype, biomarkers to predict the development and clinical outcomes of a varicocele do not yet currently exist. However, with the advent of next-generation sequencing, studies are being conducted to identify the genetic and epigenetic changes associated with varicoceles in hopes of early detection and treatment of patients who may benefit from varicocele intervention [6].
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- Chapter
- Information
- Infertility in the Male , pp. 253 - 276Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2023
References
Further Reading
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