Testis Morphometry in Varicocele

Abstract

This study was conducted to evaluate morphometrically the microscopic components of the testis in cases of varicocele, the leading cause of male infertility, with the aim to identify consistent differences from controls. In our specimens of patients with varicocele, the vascular and interstitial fractions, as well as the Leydig cell count, were significantly increased. Our data support the notion that the interstitium is the testicular compartment most consistently affected and that the damage to the tubules is erratic and probably late.

Leydig Cell in Idiopathic Varicocele

“…Using a technique similar to ours, Pesce and Reale [1985] counted the number of LC and likewise found hyperplasia. This had already been mentioned in other studies, although more subjective methods were employed [Johnsen and Agger, 1978;Dubin and Hotchkiss, 1969], The increase is very similar in both testes but not related to the diminished tubular diameter [Weiss et al, 1978b] since there is no statistical relation between an increased number of LC and a smaller tubular diameter.…”

The Pathology of Testicular Atrophy

“…In varico cele, damage to the germinal epithelium is erratic and nonspecific, and probably repre sents a late manifestation of the more consis tent, typical vascular and interstitial lesions [35,38]. As a result, there are conspicuous variations in the sperm count among these patients, and spermatogenesis often recovers fully after surgical correction of varicocele.…”

“…Surgical correction is known to improve spermatogenesis. Maturation arrest in the STs with spermatids or spermatocytes only [33,34], immature cells in the lumina and dilation of the interstitial compartment [35] with LC hyperplasia have been reported [36,37] (fig. 5).…”