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Clinical Trial
. 2015:2015:709452.
doi: 10.1155/2015/709452. Epub 2015 Oct 27.

Varicocele Repair Improves Testicular Histology in Men with Nonobstructive Azoospermia

Murat Ustuner  1 , Hasan Yilmaz  1 , Ufuk Yavuz  1 , Seyfettin Ciftci  1 , Ali Saribacak  2 , Bahri Serkan Aynur  1 , Hikmet Yasar  3 , Mustafa Melih Culha  1
Affiliations
Clinical Trial

Varicocele Repair Improves Testicular Histology in Men with Nonobstructive Azoospermia

Murat Ustuner et al. Biomed Res Int. 2015.

Abstract

Objective: To determine the histopathological differences after varicocele repair in testicular tissue in males with nonobstructive azoospermia.

Methods: Between 2009 and 2014, 45 men with complete azoospermia and palpable varicocele, presenting with primary infertility of at least 1 year, undergoing varicocele repair at our institution were selected for the study. A standard systematic testicular 6-core Tru-Cut biopsy was performed during varicocele repair. Other biopsies were obtained from each testicle of all patients at the time of microscopic sperm extraction procedure.

Results: Nineteen patients were selected for the study. Testicular biopsy specimens were classified as Sertoli cell only on preoperative histopathological analysis in 14 patients. After varicocele repair, focal spermatogenesis (n = 3) and late maturation arrest (n = 2) were found in these patients. Average Johnsen score was significantly increased after varicocelectomy (P = 0.003). Motile sperm was found in one patient on postoperative semen analyses and in 10 more patients in the microscopic sperm extraction procedure. Preoperative high serum follicle stimulating hormone level and venous reflux were significantly and negatively correlated with the increase in average Johnsen score (P < 0.05).

Conclusions: Our findings suggest significant improvement in testicular histology after varicocele repair.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
(a) Testicular histopathology indicating SCO. (b) Testicular histopathology showing SCO pattern with focal spermatogenesis in the same patient after VR.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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