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Varicocele

Last reviewed: 11 Jan 2026
Last updated: 29 Jul 2025

Summary

Definition

History and exam

Key diagnostic factors

  • painless scrotal mass
  • left-sided signs/symptoms
  • small testicle
Full details

Other diagnostic factors

  • subfertility/infertility
  • age >12
  • scrotal or groin pain
Full details

Risk factors

  • somatometric parameters (tall/low BMI)
  • family history of varicocele
Full details

Diagnostic tests

1st tests to order

  • clinical diagnosis
Full details

Tests to consider

  • scrotal ultrasound with color flow Doppler imaging
  • semen analysis
  • serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) (± GnRH stimulation)
  • serum testosterone
  • DNA fragmentation index (DFI)
  • CT abdomen/pelvis
  • MRI abdomen/pelvis
  • retroperitoneal ultrasound
Full details

Treatment algorithm

ACUTE

adolescent

adult

Contributors

Authors

Jay Ira Sandlow, MD

Professor and Chair

Department of Urology

Medical College of Wisconsin

Milwaukee

WI

Раскрытие информации

JIS declares that he has received stock options as a member of the Scientific Advisory Board for Contraline, Inc. and has served as a faculty member on the Vasectomy course for the American Urological Association.

Daniel L. Pelzman, MD

Assistant Professor

Massachusetts General Hospital

Boston

MA

Раскрытие информации

DLP declares that he has no competing interests.

Выражение благодарностей

Dr Jay Ira Sandlow and Dr Daniel L. Pelzman would like to gratefully acknowledge Dr Jagan K. Kansal, Dr Pravin Rao, Dr Miguel Pineda, Dr John C. Thomas, and Dr Wayne Kuang, previous contributors to this topic.

Раскрытие информации

JKK, PR, MP, JCT, and WK declare that they have no competing interests.

Рецензенты

Siam Oottamasathien, MD

Assistant Professor

Division of Pediatric Urology

University of Utah

Primary Children's Medical Center

Salt Lake City

UT

Раскрытие информации

SO declares that she has no competing interests.

Jeffrey Donohoe, MD

Assistant Professor

Pediatric Urology

Medical College of Georgia

Augusta

GA

Раскрытие информации

JD declares that he has no competing interests.

Daniel H. Williams, MD

Assistant Professor

Department of Urology

Head

Section of Male Infertility and Andrology

University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health

Madison

WI

Раскрытие информации

DHW declares that he has no competing interests.

Edmund Sabanegh, Jr, MD

Director

Center for Male Fertility

Glickman Urological and Kidney Institute

Cleveland

OH

Раскрытие информации

ES declares that he has no competing interests.

Peer reviewer acknowledgements

BMJ Best Practice topics are updated on a rolling basis in line with developments in evidence and guidance. The peer reviewers listed here have reviewed the content at least once during the history of the topic.

Disclosures

Peer reviewer affiliations and disclosures pertain to the time of the review.

Список литературы

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Основные статьи

Brannigan RE, Hermanson L, Kaczmarek J, et al. Updates to male infertility: AUA/ASRM guideline (2024). J Urol. 2024 Dec;212(6):789-99. Аннотация

European Association of Urology. Sexual and reproductive health guidelines. Apr 2025 [internet publication].Полный текст

Persad E, O'Loughlin CA, Kaur S, et al. Surgical or radiological treatment for varicoceles in subfertile men. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2021 Apr 23;4:CD000479.Полный текст  Аннотация

European Association of Urology. Guidelines on paediatric urology. Apr 2024 [internet publication].Полный текст

Статьи, указанные как источники

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