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Clinical experience with the radioisotope varicocele scan as a screening method for the detection of subclinical varicoceles

Journal Article · · J. Urol.; (United States)
OSTI ID:6705132
The association of varicoceles and subfertility has been well documented. Although varicoceles remain the most common surgically correctable cause of male infertility the diagnosis of small varicoceles remains a challenge. We evaluated 40 men with an isotope blood pooling scan. Seven volunteers served as either positive or negative controls. Complete correlation between physical findings and the isotope scan was found. The 6 patients with obvious clinical varicoceles and a stress pattern on semen analysis all had positive scans. The 18 patients with a stress pattern and who were clinically suspected of having a varicocele all had positive scans. Of 9 patients evaluated for infertility with a stress pattern but no clinical evidence of varicocele 6 had positive scans. We believe that the isotope scan will prove to be a useful procedure in the detection of nonpalpable varicoceles in selected subfertile men.
Research Organization:
Department of Surgery, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
OSTI ID:
6705132
Journal Information:
J. Urol.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Urol.; (United States) Vol. 128:1; ISSN JOURA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English