REDUCTION IN TESTICULAR TEMPERATURE AFTER VARICOCELECTOMY IN INFERTILE MEN

Objectives. To study the effects of varicocelectomy on testicular temp erature.Methods. Testicular skin surface temperature was directly meas ured with an electronic thermometer calibrated to 0.01 degrees C in 11 9 men before and after microsurgical varicocelectomy and in 45 control patients without varicocele. Results. Testicular temperatures in men with varicocele were elevated preoperatively (right side [R]: 34.00 +/ - 0.91 degrees C/left side [L]: 34.37 +/- 0.87 degrees C unilateral; R : 34.07 +/- 0.83 degrees C/L: 34.34 +/- 0.85 degrees C bilateral) rela tive to control patients (R: 33.04 +/- 2.47 degrees C/L: 32.86 +/- 2.5 2 degrees C) (P <0.01). Postoperative temperatures were unchanged in t he control patients. Testicular temperatures decreased after both bila teral and unilateral varicocelectomy (R: 33.03 +/- 0.85 degrees C/L: 3 2.84 +/- 1.0 degrees C unilateral; R: 33.27 +/- 1.0 degrees C/L: 33.54 +/- 1.2 degrees C bilateral) to levels nearly identical to those of c ontrol patients (P <0.001). Conclusions. Testicular temperatures were elevated bilaterally in men with both unilateral and bilateral varicoc eles. Both unilateral and bilateral microsurgical varicocelectomy resu lts in a bilateral decrease in testicular temperature. These results s upport the hypothesis that a defect in testicular thermoregulation con tributes to the pathophysiology of varicocele and demonstrate, for the first time in humans, the efficacy of varicocelectomy in restoring no rmal testicular temperatures. (C) 1997, Elsevier Science Inc. All righ ts reserved.