High prevalence of intratesticular varicocele in a post-orchidopexy cohort.

PURPOSE: Intratesticular varicocele (ITV) is an uncommon sonographic finding. A prevalence of up to 2% has been reported in men with testicular problems. In a cohort of men who had undergone prepubertal orchidopexy for acquired undescended testis, several cases of ITV were found. The aim of this study was to analyse the prevalence and clinical aspects of ITV in this cohort.

METHODS

In a long-term follow-up study of position and growth of undescended testis after prepubertal orchidopexy, ultrasonography was used to identify men with ITV. Data on clinical presentation, testicular volume, and the location, size and Doppler aspects of intratesticular varicocele were collected and analysed.

RESULTS

Of the 105 men, 9 were identified with ITV (8.6%). In all patients, the side of orchidopexy correlated with the side of the ITV, and all were left-sided. The testis with ITV had a smaller volume than the testis without ITV (p = 0.026).

CONCLUSIONS

A remarkably high prevalence of ITV (8.6%) was found as well as a smaller volume of the testes with ITV in a cohort of men who had undergone prepubertal orchidopexy for acquired undescended testis.