Progressive testicular atrophy in the varicocele patient.

We examined 82 healthy volunteers, 61 subfertile men with varicoceles and 27 subfertile men without varicoceles for testicular size and semen quality. In 13 volunteers we found unsuspected varioceles and a left testicle significantly smaller than the other 69 volunteers. The size of the right testicle and the sperm density in these patient groups were similar. Both testicles of subfertile male subjects with varicoceles were significantly smaller than the testicles of subfertile male subjects without varicoceles. However, the sperm densities of these 2 groups were similar. Finally, although subfertile male subjects with varicoceles had obviously statistically lower sperm densities than volunteers with varicoceles, the testicular sizes were similar. Perhaps varicocele ligations should be performed on all male subjects with this lesion at an early age to prevent progressive testicular atrophy and decreased fertility potential.