Association between varicocele and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

✍ Scribed by Besir Erdogmus; Burhan Yazici; Oner Balbay; Ali Nihat Annakkaya; Betul Ayca Ozdere; Ismet Bulut

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2006
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 183 KB
• Volume: 34
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0091-2751
• DOI: 10.1002/jcu.20195

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Purpose:

To evaluate the relationship between varicocele and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) via color duplex sonography.

Materials and Methods:

Forty‐four male patients with COPD (age range, 50–89 years; mean ± SD, 66 ± 9) and 44 male healthy controls (age range, 47–75 years; mean ± SD, 65 ± 6) were evaluated with color duplex sonography for unilateral or bilateral varicocele.

Results:

The incidence of right, left, and bilateral varicocele was 47.7%, 65.9%, and 38.6% respectively, in the COPD group, versus 22.7%, 52.3%, and 13.6% in the control group. The incidence of right and bilateral varicocele in the COPD group was significantly higher than in the control group (p < 0.05). The incidence of varicocele also increased with increase in COPD severity.

Conclusions:

The incidence of varicocele in COPD patients is high. Varicocele might be one of the most important causes of scrotal pain and infertility in COPD patients. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound 34:55–59, 2006