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Risk Factors of Chen and Chen for Progressive Deterioration in Semen Quality in a Male with a Varicocele

Description

Chen and Chen identified factors that can identify a man with a varicocele who is likely to experience progressive deterioration in semen quality rather than have a more static disorder. The authors are from National Yang-Ming University, National Taiwan University and Taipei City Hospital.


 

Patient selection: male with varicocele

 

Progressive deterioration in semen quality involved one or more of the following: decrease in sperm density, total sperm count and/or total motile sperm count.

 

Risk factors for progressive deterioration in semen quality:

(1) abnormal semen quality at presentation

(2) high peak retrograde flow (PRF) in the varicocele on Doppler ultrasonography (> 31 cm/s; normal 27.9 +/- 3.0; progressive 32.4 +/- 3.2)

(3) greater scrotal temperature (although this requires very accurate measurement and there is overlap between the 2 groups, with normal 33.92 +/- 1.1C; progressive 34.55 +/- 0.2°C)

(4) lower testosterone levels (normal 410.2 +/- 123.2 ng/dL; progressive 337.5 +/- 112.5)

(5) higher FSH levels (> 14.6 mIU/mL; normal 12.1 +/- 2.5; progressive 16.9 +/- 5.4)

(6) greater discrepancy between the normal testicle and the one with the varicocele (> 6%; normal 2.8% +/- 2.1%; progressive 11.8 +/- 4.2%)

 


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