ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND:
Varicocele is among the most common causes of male infertility. Venous
insufficiency is present in some patients with infertility. Valvular incompetence has
been shown to be the major underlying possible etiologic factor in the pathogenesis of
both varicocele and venous insufficiency.
AIM OF THE STUDY:
The aim of this study is to assess the saphenofemoral junction incompetence in
infertile patients with varicocele in a big series of patients.
PATIENTS AND METHODS:
A total of 321 infertile patients with varicocele and 60 age-matched healthy fertile
males as controls are enrolled within the study from 2007 to 2011 in Sohag society.
Cases with history of inguino-scrotal surgery were excluded from the study. Physical
examinations were performed to all patients by experienced vascular surgeon and
urologist. Color Doppler ultrasonography (CDU) was performed to examine the
sapheno-femoral junction incompetence to all patients and control groups on both
sides. CDU was performed to all patients and control groups to confirm the presence
ofvaricocele in patients and to exclude varicocele in the control group.
RESULTS:
The age of the 321 infertile patients with primary varicocele ranged from 18-55 years
with a mean age or 35.2 years. 12 (3.7%) patients had right varicocele, 261 (81.3%)
patients had left varicocele and 48 (15%) patients had bilateral varicocele. We found
saphenofemoral jnunction incompetence in 17 (5.4%) patients (6 cases on the right
side, 8 cases on the left side and 3 cases had bilateral SFJ incompetence). In the
control group we found only 2 (3.3%) right SFJ incompetence. Those results were not
statistically significant
CONCLUSION:
There is no statistically significant relation between varicocele and SFJ incompetence
in infertile patients.