Introduction: Varicoceles: a contemporary perspective.

In this Views and Reviews section, four groups of authors address the timely and highly relevant issue of varicoceles across the male life spectrum. Varicoceles are very prevalent among men presenting for an infertility workup. While reduction in bulk semen parameters (including sperm concentration, motility, and morphology) has long been recognized as a deficit caused by varicoceles, in recent years a number of investigators have shown that varicoceles can have broader, multi-faceted effects on male reproductive health. Sperm DNA integrity and other aspects of sperm function appear to be impacted by the presence of varicoceles, and varicocele correction can result in significant improvement in not only semen parameters, but also fertilization and pregnancy rates.