Pituitary and Testicular Function in Adolescents With Varicocele

Testosterone and Varicocele

“…6,7,[12][13][14] A study by Pirke and colleagues 7 found normal testosterone levels among 21 subjects who presented with varicocele, a result mirrored by Weiss and colleagues, 8 who reported on a cohort of 16 men with accompanying hypospermatogenesis. A contemporaneous analysis by Pasqualini and colleagues 6 also documented normal testosterone levels in a group of 17 patients; however, their data did demonstrate elevated LH levels, leading to the conclusion that men with varicoceles can have normal androgen levels via compensated LH production.…”

Testicular growth and gonadotrophin response associated with varicocele repair in adolescent males

“…They noted an abnormal response in 30% of the patients. However, Osuna et al [17] studied the gonadotrophin response in adolescents with unilateral varicoceles and concluded that it was independent of the venous dilatation, but was instead influenced by the patient's age and their pubertal stage of development.…”

Adolescent varicocele: emerging understanding

“…In another study, Osoona et al [20] compared 41 patients with a varicocele to 22 normal subjects, finding that among Tanner stage III and IV there was no difference in LH or FSH response to GnRH stimulation. In Tanner stage V an excessive LH, FSH response occurred in 44% of the patients.…”

“…In Tanner stage V an excessive LH, FSH response occurred in 44% of the patients. These authors concluded that the gonadotrophin response was a function of age and pubertal status, and independent of the grade of varicocele [20].…”