Overview
Varicocele is an abnormal enlargement of scrotal veins, significantly contributing to male infertility through mechanisms such as oxidative stress, hypoxia, and impaired spermatogenesis 115.Diagnosis
Management
Special Populations
Key Recommendations
References
Showing 100 most recent of 996 indexed papers.
1 Mehdikhanloo M, Raeef AA, Mohammadi N, Mahmoodi M, Nasirzadeh M, Mohammad-Sadeghipour M et al.. The effects of Lycium barbarum polysaccharide on oxidative stress and sperm health in varicocele patients: A randomized clinical trial. Tissue & cell 2026. link 2 Shokoohi M, Nasr Esfahani MH, Khaki AA, Ghazi Soltani G, Alihemmati A, Mohammadzadeh Boukani L. N-acetylcysteine Improved Expression of FSHR, LHCGR, Catsper-1, Catsper-2, and SF-1 Genes in Testis of Rats with Varicocele. Reproductive sciences (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) 2026. link 3 Rostami G, Navabakhsh MR, Salami SS, Rezaei M, Hasannezhad E, Rahimi Mamaghani A et al.. Antiapoptotic effects of anthocyanin on testicular damage induced by varicocele in male rats. Biotechnic & histochemistry : official publication of the Biological Stain Commission 2026. link 4 Uemura KI, Iwahata T, Osaka A, Hiramatsu I, Sugimoto K, Okada H et al.. Varicocelectomy for nonobstructive azoospermia should be considered only in carefully selected patients: opinions based on treatment experience at Dokkyo Medical University. Archivio italiano di urologia, andrologia : organo ufficiale [di] Societa italiana di ecografia urologica e nefrologica 2026. link 5 Bapna T, Tandon S, McBride CA, Samarakkody U, Taghavi K, Nataraja RM et al.. Management of paediatric varicocele in Australia and New Zealand: A survey of the Australian and New Zealand association of paediatric surgeons (ANZAPS). Journal of pediatric urology 2026. link 6 Tuloghamari M, Eidi A, Mortazavi P, Asghari A. Protective effect of magnesium oxide nanoparticles against experimental varicocele-induced testicular damage in rats. Tissue & cell 2026. link 7 Xiao H, Ding YL, Yang P, Chen Q, Huang HL, Chen X et al.. The negative correlation between triglyceride glucose-body mass index and hormone levels in young and middle-aged patients with clinical varicocoele: A cross-sectional study. Andrology 2026. link 8 Ma Y, Deng W, Wu T, Li Q, Li Y, Mai W et al.. Comparative efficacy of varicocelectomy and intrauterine insemination in varicocoele patients with mild semen abnormalities: An observational study. Andrology 2026. link 9 Sandler MD, Yanes J, Dureja R, Ila V, Gurayah AA, Williams AD et al.. Impact of varicocoelectomy on male semen parameters: A long-term analysis of sperm quality and outcomes. Andrology 2026. link 10 Chen X, Liu W, Shi J, Chen Z, Han M, Jiang H et al.. Ameliorative Effects of Coenzyme Q10 Against Hypoxia-Induced and Varicocele-Associated Spermatogenesis Dysfunction in Rat. Andrology 2026. link 11 Ding P, Luo Q, Cao L. Quality assessment and dissemination of varicocele health information on short-video platforms: A comparative study of TikTok and Bilibili. Medicine 2026. link 12 Shiraishi K, Tokitaka S, Ban Y, Oka S. Long-Term Outcomes of Varicocelectomy in Children and Adolescents: Impact of Timing on Testicular Growth and Spermatogenesis. The Journal of urology 2026. link 13 Arya D, Irani D, Gajbhiye R, Tandon D, Kothari P, Pawar P et al.. Sperm DNA methylation landscape in infertile men with clinical varicocele: unravelling the treatment effect. Journal of endocrinological investigation 2026. link 14 Li W, Sun S, Fu L, Pan Y, Qian L, Yu L et al.. New insights into the pathological mechanism of varicocoele and its association with abnormal vascular remodeling in varicocoele patients. Andrology 2026. link 15 Dong L, Xin J, Zhang J, Liu Z, Li J, Yu X. Progress of the pathogenesis in varicocele: a narrative review. The Canadian journal of urology 2026. link 16 Minhas S, Boeri L, Capogrosso P, Cocci A, Corona G, Dinkelman-Smit M et al.. European Association of Urology Guidelines on Male Sexual and Reproductive Health: 2025 Update on Male Infertility. European urology 2025. link 17 Tsujimura A, Iijima M, Umemoto Y, Kobayashi H, Komiya A, Shiraishi K et al.. Summary of the Clinical Practice Guidelines for Male Infertility by the Japanese Urological Association With the Support of the Japan Society for Reproductive Medicine. International journal of urology : official journal of the Japanese Urological Association 2025. link 18 Ktari K, Jelassi MA, Hamdouni W, Tabka H, Touffahi M. Varicocele management in Tunisia: Overview of practices and comparison with latest international guidelines. La Tunisie medicale 2025. link 19 Solomon JR, Bahar P, Bisenius A, Duncan M, Price DK, Paradis AG et al.. Do Social Determinants of Health Affect Adherence to the 2014 American Urological Association Cryptorchidism Guideline? A Multi-Institutional Evaluation. Urology practice 2025. link 20 Gokmen O, Gurbuz T, Devranoglu B, Karaman MI. Artificial intelligence and clinical guidance in male reproductive health: ChatGPT4.0's AUA/ASRM guideline compliance evaluation. Andrology 2025. link 21 Kati B, Ordek E, Demir I, Pelit ES. Drainage of varicose veins during subinguinal microscopic varicocelectomy (vein milking): Does it affect pain, cosmetic appearance, and spermiogram?. Actas urologicas espanolas 2025. link 22 Ge S, Wang H, Xu Z. Amplatzer vascular plug combined with coil and sclerosing agent for the treatment of ovarian varicocele: A case report. Medicine 2025. link 23 Abedinzadeh M, Nazari A, Vahidi SA, Pourmasumi S, Khorramdelazad H. Critical Roles of VEGFR1, VEGFR2, VEGFR3, BAX, and BCL-2 in the Pathogenesis of Varicose Veins: Unveiling Molecular Mechanisms. American journal of men's health 2025. link 24 Tang L, Guo X, Wen S, Duan Z, Zhong X, Liang M et al.. Oxidative and Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Mediate Testicular Injury in a Rat Model of Varicocele. Reproductive sciences (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) 2025. link 25 Farid M, Aqilanisa HF. Identifying potential novel biomarkers for varicocele: A bioinformatics approach to genomics analysis. Folia medica 2025. link 26 Arya D, Pawar P, Gajbhiye R, Tandon D, Kothari P, Goankar R et al.. Status of sperm mitochondrial functions and DNA methylation in infertile men with clinical varicocele before and after treatment. Molecular and cellular endocrinology 2025. link 27 Wang LH, Zheng L, Jiang H, Jiang T. Research advances in inflammation and oxidative stress in varicocele-induced male infertility: a narrative review. Asian journal of andrology 2025. link 28 Lanza E, Mininni A, Tomasino L, Ammirabile A, Ferrillo G, Romano S et al.. Long-term efficacy and catheter choice in male varicocele embolization using NBCA-MS glue. International urology and nephrology 2025. link 29 Petrella F, Raymo A, Sadri I, Velasquez D, Madhusoodanan V, Deebel N et al.. Adolescent microsurgical varicocelectomy and changes in sperm parameters: A matched cohort analysis. Andrology 2025. link 30 Wei X, Yu Z, Wang S, Zhong D, Wang Y, Zhang X et al.. Metabolomic profiling of varicocele-induced male infertility: insights from spermatic vein blood analysis. Frontiers in endocrinology 2025. link 31 Lopes Mendes AL, Barneschi AC, D'Ippolito G, Innocenzi M, Collura G, Mele E et al.. Laparoscopic varicocelectomy: Does intraoperative lymphography with vital dye influence the outcome?. Journal of pediatric urology 2025. link 32 Kamran H, Shamohammadi I, Haghpanah A. A closer look: sperm analysis and clinical outcomes of microscopic and loupe-assisted varicocele repair in male infertility due to moderate-to-severe varicocele. International urology and nephrology 2025. link 33 Kyaw Tun J, Le Tat T, Hakime A. Percutaneous Anterograde Varicocele Embolization: Technique and Clinical Outcomes. Journal of vascular and interventional radiology : JVIR 2025. link 34 Kayra MV, Şahin A, Toksöz S, Serindere M, Altıntaş E, Özer H et al.. Machine learning-based classification of varicocoele grading: A promising approach for diagnosis and treatment optimization. Andrology 2025. link 35 Shojaei M, Tavalaee M, Ghazavi B, Izadi T, Safaeinejad Z, Ghajari E et al.. Alterations Expression of Key RNA Methylation (m6A) Enzymes in Testicular Tissue of Rats with Induced Varicocele. Reproductive sciences (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) 2025. link 36 Alghamdi I, Xu SS, McNaught J, Cardarelli Leite L, Cool DW, Mujoomdar A. Impact of Varicocele Embolization on DNA Fragmentation Index (DFI) in Male Infertility. Journal of vascular and interventional radiology : JVIR 2025. link 37 Sollender GE, Piqueiras E, Siapno AED, Furtado TP, Finkelshtein I, Singer JS et al.. A qualitative study of patient and family experiences in adolescents with varicoceles: A focus on fertility, self-esteem, and sexual function. Journal of pediatric urology 2025. link 38 Kasunic D, Crebert M, Treacy PJ, Steffens D, Karunaratne S, Waugh R et al.. Comparing the efficacy of different embolisation materials in improving pain and fertility outcomes in patients with varicoceles: A systematic review. Journal of medical imaging and radiation oncology 2025. link 39 Özervarlı MF, Sevinç AH, Şenel S, Karaca Y, Ateş Y, Tantekin SA et al.. Assessing the outcomes of subinguinal microsurgical varicocelectomy: pulling technique compared to the conventional method. International urology and nephrology 2025. link 40 Kavoussi PK, Gupta C, Shah R. Varicocele and nonobstructive azoospermia. Asian journal of andrology 2025. link 41 Siegal AR, Ferrer FA, Herndon CDA, Wallis MC, Schaeffer AJ, Malhotra NR. Inter-disciplinary provider development of an online, interactive adolescent varicocele decision aid prototype. Andrology 2024. link 42 Baydilli N, Dönmez Mİ, Wilcox DT, Hadziselimovic F, Hayashi Y, Oswald J et al.. Undescended testis: A roundtable discussion based on clinical scenarios - Part 1. Journal of pediatric urology 2024. link 43 Hariri MK, Rajabalian MB, Narouie B, Ahmadaghayi S, Rostami G, Ezoji K et al.. Semen parameter enhancement after varicocelectomy: Insights into varicose vein diameter and BMI influence: A cross-sectional study. Urologia 2024. link 44 Esposito C, Borgogni R, Chiodi A, Cerulo M, Autorino G, Esposito G et al.. Indocyanine green (ICG)-GUIDED lymphatic sparing laparoscopic varicocelectomy in children and adolescents. Is intratesticular injection of the dye safe? A mid-term follow-up study. Journal of pediatric urology 2024. link 45 Erdogan O, Ok F. The effect of systemic inflammatory index and systemic inflammatory response index on success of varicoselectomy. Urologia 2024. link 46 Lira Neto FT, Roque M, Esteves SC. Effect of varicocele and varicocelectomy on sperm deoxyribonucleic acid fragmentation rates in infertile men with clinical varicocele. Minerva obstetrics and gynecology 2024. link 47 Aksakalli T, Utlu A, Demirdogen SO, Cinislioglu AE, Karabulut I. Effects of smoking on varicocelectomy outcomes: a retrospective cohort study. International urology and nephrology 2024. link 48 White J, Cartaya S, Black K, Ledesma B, Arbelaez MCS, Muthigi A et al.. Are varicoceles the holy grail of Andrology?. International journal of impotence research 2024. link 49 Wang L, Zhu Q, Zhang Y, Miao Y, Liu H, Gao F. Assessing safety and efficacy of microscopic and laparoscopic varicocoelectomy for varicocoele treatment: A comparative cohort study. Journal of plastic, reconstructive & aesthetic surgery : JPRAS 2024. link 50 Wells MB, Gedaly LR, Aronson O. Midwives and child health nurses' support is associated with positive coparenting for fathers of infants: A cross-sectional analysis. Journal of clinical nursing 2023. link 51 Keskin MZ, Ekmekci S, Engin AY, Ates E, Ucar M, Siyez E et al.. Evaluation of Transforming Growth Factor Beta-1 in the vein wall of males with varicocele. European review for medical and pharmacological sciences 2023. link 52 Hung JWS, Chung KLY, Yam FSD, Lai NTY, Suen MMY, Chin VHY et al.. Long lasting effect on testes following methylene blue injection in laparoscopic lymphatic sparing varicocelectomy. Journal of pediatric urology 2023. link 53 Papes D, Cavar S, Sabolic I, Pasini M, Jurca I, Antabak A et al.. Internal Spermatic Vein to Superficial Epigastric Vein Microsurgical Bypass in Varicocele Treatment. European journal of pediatric surgery : official journal of Austrian Association of Pediatric Surgery ... [et al] = Zeitschrift fur Kinderchirurgie 2023. link 54 Siegal AR, Ferrer FA, Baldisserotto E, Malhotra NR. The Assessment of TikTok as a Source of Quality Health Information on Varicoceles. Urology 2023. link 55 Adams Y, Amidu N, Afoko AA. Changes in testicular arterial hemodynamic, gonadotropin levels, and semen parameters among varicocele patients randomized to varicocelectomy or observed in Tamale, Ghana. Urologia 2023. link 56 Tsili AC, Sofikitis N, Boukali E, Kaltsas A, Maliakas VP, Argyropoulou MI. Dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI in the assessment of testicular perfusion in infertile men with clinical varicocele. Acta radiologica (Stockholm, Sweden : 1987) 2023. link 57 Fallara G, Tang S, Pang KH, Pozzi E, Belladelli F, Schifano N et al.. Treatment of Persistent or Recurrent Varicoceles: A Systematic Review. European urology focus 2023. link 58 Lourdaux PJ, Vaganée D, Leysen C, De Wachter S, De Win G. Evolution of testicular asymmetry during puberty in adolescents without and with a left varicocele. BJU international 2023. link 59 Chung KLY, Hung JWS, Yam FSD, Chao NSY, Li DCY, Leung MWY. Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Laparoscopic Palomo Surgery vs Scrotal Antegrade Sclerotherapy in Adolescent Varicocele. The Journal of urology 2023. link 60 Sharma S, Shimpi RK. Estimation of haemodynamic changes in varicocele testis and results after microsurgical sub-inguinal varicocelectomy. Urologia 2023. link 61 Fusco GM, Cirillo L, Abate M, Morra S, Morgera V, Barone B et al.. Male infertility, what Mobile Health Applications "know": quality analysis and adherence to European Association of Urology Guidelines. Archivio italiano di urologia, andrologia : organo ufficiale [di] Societa italiana di ecografia urologica e nefrologica 2022. link 62 Asanad K, Nusbaum D, Fuchs G, Rodman JCS, Samplaski MK. The impact of male infertility faculty on urology residency training. Andrologia 2022. link 63 Bai G, Fu K, Fu W, Liu G. Quality of Internet Videos Related to Pediatric Urology in Mainland China: A Cross-Sectional Study. Frontiers in public health 2022. link 64 Tharakan T, Bettocchi C, Carvalho J, Corona G, Jones TH, Kadioglu A et al.. European Association of Urology Guidelines Panel on Male Sexual and Reproductive Health: A Clinical Consultation Guide on the Indications for Performing Sperm DNA Fragmentation Testing in Men with Infertility and Testicular Sperm Extraction in Nonazoospermic Men. European urology focus 2022. link 65 Zhang C, Li X, Chen J, Zhao L, Wei X, Dong Y et al.. Transcriptome and genome sequencing investigating the molecular characteristics of patients with varicocele infertility. Andrologia 2022. link 66 Blaseg E. Vitamin D Levels and Sperm DNA Fragmentation. South Dakota medicine : the journal of the South Dakota State Medical Association 2022. link 67 Takeshima T, Karibe J, Saito T, Ishibashi Y, Usui K, Mori K et al.. Effect of keishibukuryogan combined with tocopherol nicotinate on sperm parameters in patients with a varicocele. International journal of urology : official journal of the Japanese Urological Association 2022. link 68 Noori Alavije H, Ahmadi-Hamedani M, Moslemi H. Evaluation of platelet indices and mean platelet volume to platelet count ratio in experimentally varicocele-induced adolescent and adult rats. Andrologia 2022. link 69 Lara-Cerrillo S, Gual-Frau J, Benet J, Abad C, Prats J, Amengual MJ et al.. Microsurgical varicocelectomy effect on sperm telomere length, DNA fragmentation and seminal parameters. Human fertility (Cambridge, England) 2022. link 70 Tanaka T, Kobori Y, Terai K, Inoue Y, Osaka A, Yoshikawa N et al.. Seminal oxidation-reduction potential and sperm DNA fragmentation index increase among infertile men with varicocele. Human fertility (Cambridge, England) 2022. link 71 Wong S, Vigneswaran G, Maclean D, Bryant T, Hacking N, Maher B et al.. 10-year experience of Paediatric varicocele embolization in a tertiary centre with long-term follow-up. Journal of pediatric urology 2022. link 72 Ates F, Durmaz MS, Sara HI, Kara T. Comparison of testicular vascularity via superb microvascular imaging in varicocele patients with contralateral normal testis and healthy volunteers. Journal of ultrasound 2022. link 73 Camargo M, Ibrahim E, Intasqui P, Belardin LB, Antoniassi MP, Lynne CM et al.. Seminal inflammasome activity in the adult varicocele. Human fertility (Cambridge, England) 2022. link 74 Babaei A, Moradi S, Hoseinkhani Z, Rezazadeh D, Dokaneheifard S, Asadpour R et al.. Expression of Hypoxia-Inducible Factor1-α in Varicocele Disease: a Comprehensive Systematic Review. Reproductive sciences (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) 2022. link 75 Razeghinia MS, Sahebazzamani M, Soleymani S, Ketabchi AA, Moqaddasi-Amiri M, Mohammadi MM. Expression of proapoptotic receptors Fas/Fas-L on sperm cells and levels of their soluble forms in seminal fluid from patients with varicocele. Journal of reproductive immunology 2022. link 76 Zhang Y, Zhang W, Wu X, Liu G, Dai Y, Jiang H et al.. Effect of varicocele on sperm DNA damage: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Andrologia 2022. link 77 Mostafa T, El-Taweel AEI, Rashed LA, Mohammed NAM, Akl EM. Assessment of seminal cystatin C levels in infertile men with varicocele: A preliminary study. Andrologia 2022. link 78 Zhang Y, Xu H, Wu Y, Chen X. Treatment of subclinical varicocele with acupuncture: A case report. Explore (New York, N.Y.) 2022. link 79 Albano Nogueira GAK, Maciel Junior VL, Minas A, Antoniassi MP. Characterization of varicocele-induced animal models: Potential role of inflammasome complex in the varicocele pathophysiology. Journal of reproductive immunology 2022. link 80 Patil N, Javali T. Varicocelectomy in adolescents - Does it safeguard future fertility? A single centre experience. Journal of pediatric urology 2022. link 81 Sadraei MR, Tavalaee M, Forouzanfar M, Nasr-Esfahani MH. Effect of curcumin, and nano-curcumin on sperm function in varicocele rat model. Andrologia 2022. link 82 Schlegel PN, Sigman M, Collura B, De Jonge CJ, Eisenberg ML, Lamb DJ et al.. Diagnosis and treatment of infertility in men: AUA/ASRM guideline part I. Fertility and sterility 2021. link 83 Schlegel PN, Sigman M, Collura B, De Jonge CJ, Eisenberg ML, Lamb DJ et al.. Diagnosis and Treatment of Infertility in Men: AUA/ASRM Guideline Part I. The Journal of urology 2021. link 84 Schlegel PN, Sigman M, Collura B, De Jonge CJ, Eisenberg ML, Lamb DJ et al.. Diagnosis and Treatment of Infertility in Men: AUA/ASRM Guideline PART II. The Journal of urology 2021. link 85 Dupree JM, Coward RM, Hsieh TC, Tanrikut C, Shin P, Mehta A et al.. The Impact of Physician Productivity Models on Access to Subspecialty Care: A White Paper From the Society for the Study of Male Reproduction and the Society for Male Reproduction and Urology. Urology 2021. link 86 Wagner KE, Soyster ME, Bartels C, Honig S, Harnisch BA. Improving resident learning on vasectomy: a national survey on urology resident vasectomy training. The Canadian journal of urology 2021. link 87 Ghayda RA, Carrion DM, Gomez Rivas J, Esperto F, Mantica G, Rodriguez-Socarras ME et al.. Knowledge gap across continents: the andrology and male infertility exposure among urology residents in the United States and Europe. International journal of impotence research 2021. link 88 Minhas S, Bettocchi C, Boeri L, Capogrosso P, Carvalho J, Cilesiz NC et al.. European Association of Urology Guidelines on Male Sexual and Reproductive Health: 2021 Update on Male Infertility. European urology 2021. link 89 Kizilkan Y, Duran MB, Senel S, Yikilmaz TN, Akbelen B, Toksoz S. The effect of ejaculation time on varicose vein diameter and reflux level. Andrologia 2021. link 90 Bartl I, Ondrušová M, Kužma M, Jackuliak P, Gažová A, Kyselovič J et al.. Treatment With Cholecalciferol Leads to Increase Of Selected Semen Parameters in Young Infertile Males: Results of a 6-month Interventional Study. Physiological research 2021. link 91 Van Batavia JP, Lawton E, Frazier JR, Zderic SA, Zaontz MR, Shukla AR et al.. Total Motile Sperm Count in Adolescent Boys with Varicocele is Associated with Hormone Levels and Total Testicular Volume. The Journal of urology 2021. link 92 Fallara G, Cazzaniga W, Boeri L, Capogrosso P, Candela L, Pozzi E et al.. Male factor infertility trends throughout the last 10 years: Report from a tertiary-referral academic andrology centre. Andrology 2021. link 93 Ammar O, Tekeya O, Hannachi I, Sallem A, Haouas Z, Mehdi M. Increased Sperm DNA Fragmentation in Infertile Men with Varicocele: Relationship with Apoptosis, Seminal Oxidative Stress, and Spermatic Parameters. Reproductive sciences (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) 2021. link 94 Razi M, Tavalaee M, Sarrafzadeh-Rezaei F, Moazamian A, Gharagozloo P, Drevet JR et al.. Varicocoele and oxidative stress: New perspectives from animal and human studies. Andrology 2021. link 95 Fuschi A, Capone L, Abuorouq S, Al Salhi Y, Velotti G, Aversa S et al.. Shear wave elastography in varicocele patients: Prospective study to investigate correlation with semen parameters and histological findings. International journal of clinical practice 2021. link 96 Zhang Y, Wu X, Zhang W, Gao J, Zhang Y, Zhang X. Platelet indices and varicocele: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Andrologia 2021. link 97 Wang D, Zhao W, Liu J, Wang Y, Yuan C, Zhang F et al.. Effects of HIF-1α on Spermatogenesis of Varicocele Rats by Regulating VEGF/PI3K/Akt Signaling Pathway. Reproductive sciences (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) 2021. link 98 Yan S, Shabbir M, Yap T, Homa S, Ramsay J, McEleny K et al.. Should the current guidelines for the treatment of varicoceles in infertile men be re-evaluated?. Human fertility (Cambridge, England) 2021. link 99 Dave P, Farber N, Vij S. Conventional semen analysis and advanced sperm function tests in diagnosis and management of varicocele. Andrologia 2021. link 100 Di Fiore MM, Santillo A, Falvo S, Pinelli C. Celebrating 50+ years of research on the reproductive biology and endocrinology of the green frog: An overview. General and comparative endocrinology 2020. link