Does varicocele correction lead to normalization of preoperatively elevated mean platelet volume levels?

Abstract

There are several studies on the relationship between increased mean platelet volume (MPV) and varicocele. We investigated the relationship between preoperative and 6-month postoperative MPV values in patients whose varicocele was corrected with surgery. A total of 282 patients underwent surgery at our urology clinic between December 2011 and December 2013 for primary varicocele. We retrospectively examined the records of 61 patients who came to the 6-month postoperative follow-up. The preoperative varicocele diagnosis was made with physical examination findings and supported with colour Doppler ultrasonography. The varicocele was grade I in 12 patients, grade II in 34 patients and grade III in 11 patients. When the preoperative and 6-month postoperative haemoglobin (Hb), MPV, mean corpuscular volume, platelet, and platelet distribution width (PDW) values were compared, there was a significant decrease in MPV (p = 0.019), and a significant increase in Hb (p < 0.001). A noticeable increase was also present in PDW, but it was not statistically significant (p = 0.058). We found that MPV increased in patients with varicocele and tended to decrease again after the varicocele was surgically corrected. However, we feel larger prospective series are needed.