| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3982102 | Clinical Radiology | 2012 | 7 Pages |
AimTo determine the efficacy of percutaneous transcatheter embolization in the management of patients with spermatic varicocoeles persisting or recurring after surgery.Materials and methodsOver a period of 10 years, 28 patients (age range 13–55 years) were referred for percutaneous transcatheter embolization of postsurgical, recurrent varicocoeles. Medical documents were retrospectively reviewed to evaluate past surgical history, subjective symptoms, and results of scrotal examination, ultrasound, and semen parameters. Pre-embolization venograms were analysed to assess the anatomy of the testicular vein. The technical and clinical outcomes of embolization were then determined.ResultsThe 28 patients included in the study had undergone laparoscopic varicocoelectomy (39.3%), high retroperitoneal ligation (25%), or inguinal ligation (25%). Subjective symptoms were scrotal pain (60.7%) and a palpable scrotal mass (50%) exclusively on the left side. Venograms revealed abnormalities of the left testicular vein in all cases. Embolization was technically successful in all but two cases, thus yielding an occlusion rate of 93%; a single case of suspected thrombophlebitis was the only complication. After excluding two, technically unsuccessful cases and one patient who was lost to follow-up, 25 patients underwent scrotal examination after embolization, which revealed complete resolution in 20 cases (80%), partial improvement in four cases (16%), and no improvement in a single case (4%). Among the follow-up group of patients, of the 12 who initially presented with scrotal pain, six (50%) were symptom-free and four (33.3%) had partial improvement.ConclusionPercutaneous transcatheter embolization of the testicular vein is technically feasible and effective for managing postsurgical recurrent varicocoeles.
