Not Just In The Legs

Varicose Veins.

Upon reading the words, what comes into mind? I suppose, the unsightly veins in the legs. That is also all I know about varicose veins until today.

I was googling about causes of infertility for men and chanced upon the word varicocele. I said to myself, varico-what?

So what is varicocele?

According to wikipedia, Varicocele is an abnormal enlargement of the veins in the scrotum draining the testicles. The testicular blood vessels originate in the abdomen and course down through th inguinal canal as part of the spermatic cord on their way to the testis. Up-ward flow of blood in the veins is ensured by small one-way valves that prevent backflow. Defective valves, or compression of the vein by a nearby structure, can cause dilatation of the veins near the testis, leading to the formation of a varicocele. Varicocele can be diagnosed by undergoing scrotal ultrasound with doppler.

If a man underwent a Semen Analysis and the result indicates a low sperm count, varicocele is one factor to consider. Although there are recent researches claiming that there are men who have undergone surgery to cure varicocele who still did not see any improvement in terms of fertility.