Thermography in a Child with Varicocele

Abstract

A 12-year-old boy with a left-sided varicocele (Grade 3) was assessed preoperatively and followed postoperatively by computer-assisted infrared thermography. The temperature of the left scrotum was 35.4 degrees C before surgery which was 4 degrees C higher than that of the right scrotum. After ligation of the left internal spermatic vein and removal of the varicocele, scrotal thermograms 39 days and 12 months after operation were normal. Therefore, it seems that thermography is very valuable in the evaluation of testicular function in children with varicocele, in whom semen analysis is impossible.

Is the laparoscopic Palomo procedure for pediatric varicocele safe and effective?

“…The mean age at operation was 13 ± 1.98 years (range, [9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18]. Thirty-eight of 41 patients (93%) had a left-sided varicocele, and three (7%) had bilateral varicocele.…”

“…This reflux can impair the countercurrent heat exchange mechanism within the spermatic vessels, thus causing an increase in testicular and scrotal temperature [11]. The abnormally high temperature can subsequently lead to a progressive dysfunction of the testicle and epididymis [18,19].…”

Infrared thermography: Experience from a decade of pediatric imaging

“…Scrotal infrared thermography is a particularly useful diagnostic procedure, especially in patients with sub-clinical or occult (grade 1) varicocele [6]. Scrotal thermograms after ligation of the internal spermatic veins and removal of varicocele in follow-up examinations up to 1 year have been shown to be normal [12]. IRT is very valuable in the evaluation of testicular function in pre-pubertal patients with varicoceles in whom semen analysis is not possible.…”

Thermal imaging developments for respiratory airflow measurement to diagnose apnoea

“…Haemangioma or varicocele is another area where the use of thermal imaging could Iwata et al [67] also found a similar result to the findings of Saxena et al [64] for varicocele, in case of a 12 year old boy displaying a varicocele on the left side [54] [67]. They also reported a close variation of temperature in the affected side.…”