Very often varicocele starts at puberty period. In the majority of cases is doesn't reveal itself and is diagnosed by accident during preventive and medical actions. This once again highlights the significance of conducting measures in time.
Clinical manifestation of varicocele (pain, troublesome feelings in scrotum) is typical of only 10 - 15% of patients. If varix dilation is most evident, a patient can notice an additional formation in scrotum (it a cosmetic defect).
There are 3 degrees of varicocele.
The 1st stage - Varix can be revealed only by palpation with straining effort of a patient when in vertical position;
The 2nd stage - dilated veins can be seen; the size and consistency of the testis remain unchanged.
The 3rd stage - apparent vein dilation that descends behind the lower pole of the testis. The testis changes in size and consistency.
Varicocele in itself is not a great problem. It doesn't threaten a patient's life. And one can easily live with it. The problem can stem from the main complication of varicocele, namely male sterility and pain syndrome, that occur under effect of the following negative factors on the testis:
- High temperature in scrotum; disturbance of its thermoregulating function;
- Sudden congestion, hypoxemia;
- Worsening of supply due to lengthening of nutrient arteries; lumen narrowing and arteriospasm;
- Mechanical pressure on the testicle from dilated veins.
It is common knowledge that liquid (here blood) can practically not be compressed. This explains pressure transfer, created by reverse blood flow in all the directions. Veins start to lengthen and increase in size under increased pressure. The degree of such changes is individual and depends on vessel walls strength, as well as on vein pressure degree. Thus venous network that surrounds the testis expands and this results in disturbance of scrotum thermoregulating function. In other words the testis is not cooled. In its turn decreased temperature is a necessary factor for spermatozoa yield, thus normal spermatogenesis is disturbed.
Why does varicocele occur? What are the causes of varicocele?
Manifestation, symptoms and danger of varicocele
Methods of treatment, complications and recommendations
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