Association between varicocele and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Abstract

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