Sperm chromatin condensation in infertile men with varicocele before and after surgical repair

ObjectiveTo assess sperm chromatin integrity in infertile men with varicocele before and after surgical repair.DesignProspective.SettingAcademic setting.Patient(s)Seventy-two infertile men with varicocele compared with 20 healthy fertile men.Intervention(s)History taking, genital examination, semen analysis, sperm chromatin condensation assessment by aniline blue stain before and 3 months after varicocelectomy.Main Outcome Measure(s)Stained sperm heads (abnormal chromatin condensation) before and 3 months after varicocelectomy.Result(s)The mean percentage of aniline blue–stained sperm heads was significantly higher in infertile men with varicocele compared with fertile controls. The mean percentage of stained sperm heads was significantly decreased in infertile men with varicocele 3 months after surgery compared with the preoperative data. There was a significant negative correlation between percentage of stained sperm heads and normal morphology where nonsignificant correlation was elicited regarding sperm count and sperm motility.Conclusion(s)There is a significant increase of abnormal sperm chromatin condensation in infertile men with varicocele that is markedly improved after varicocelectomy.