Spermiological Profile of Patients with Varicocele in Cotonou

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the effects of varicocele on sperm characteristics, on testicles and its responsibility in male fertility. Patients and Methods: The study took place in the National University Teaching Hospital Hubert Koutoukou Maga of Cotonou. It was a prospective study, from December 2015 to July 2016, which concerned 45 patients affected by the varicocele and seen for infertility. The duration of the infertility was 12 months or more, according to the definition. The studied parameters were the age, the profession, the deadline of the infertility, the type and the rank of the varicocele, the data of the ultrasound and the spermogram. Results: The average age of our patients was 35 years with a range of 20 and 56 years. The average duration of infertility was 3 years and 5 months. The pattern of consultation was a desire of paternity in 71.1% of cases. The testicular hypotrophy was found in 93.3% of cases at the right side and in 97.8% at the left side. The varicocele was bilateral at 82.2% of cases. The most frequent sperm abnormality was the oligoasthenoteratozoospermia found in 31.1% of cases. Conclusion: The varicocele is a male subject pathology. Its consequences on fertility are bad as well as on the volume and the capacity of the testicles to play its endocrine and exocrine function. The better choice is to start the treatment just when it is found in a man. The surgery seems to be the best solution to that important social problem.