Variations in the management of asymptomatic adolescent grade 2 or 3 left varicoceles: A survey of practitioners

ObjectiveOur study aims to evaluate variations in management of asymptomatic adolescent grade 2 and 3 varicoceles by pediatric urologists.Subjects and methodsElectronic survey of all 267 current members of AAP Urology with 74 (28%) responding.ResultsWhen managing patients with positive examination findings, 49% of surveyed practitioners use scrotal sonography as initial screening, while 38% use only manual orchidometry and 11% observation with serial examinations. If significant testicular size discrepancy is identified, 32% immediately intervene surgically, while 59% repeat measurements in 6–12 months. When no discrepancy is identified, 36.6% of practitioners discharge their patients with no follow-up, 22.5% refer to an infertility specialist, and 31% evaluate with semen analysis. Fifty-seven percent of practitioners have never sent patients for semen analysis; only 4% send >50% of patients. Of these, 52% and 27% analyzed semen at 17–18 years and 19–20 years, respectively, and 10% send for semen analysis at <17 years.ConclusionsOur survey demonstrates that there does not appear to be a consensus among pediatric urologists managing asymptomatic grade 2 and 3 varicoceles. Better understanding of which adolescent patients with varicoceles will go on to develop male infertility is necessary to identify pediatric patients who could benefit from early intervention.