OBJECTIVETo investigate the influence of varicocele on the volume discrepancy of bilateral testes, and the relationship between testicular volume discrepancy and semen parameters.

METHODSThis study included 181 varicocele patients and 102 normal fertile men without varicocele. We retrospectively analyzed their clinical data, including the grades and locations of varicocele, testis volume and semen parameters.

RESULTSBilateral testicular volume discrepancy was found in 132 (72.9%) of the varicocele patients (including 117 cases of left testicular hypotrophy [88.6%]), and 35 (34.3%) of the non-varicocele fertile men. The rates of bilateral testicular volume discrepancy were 61.3%, 3.5%, 20.9% and 14.3% in the grade-III, grade-II, grade-I and non-varicocele groups, respectively (P < 0.05), with statistically significant differences among different age groups (P < 0.05). The percentage of morphologically normal sperm and sperm motility were reduced differently with different degrees of testicular volume discrepancy (P <0.05).

CONCLUSIONTesticular volume discrepancy is more common in men with left varicocele, and its prevalence and degree are correlated with the grade of varicocele. Semen quality decreases with the increase of testicular volume discrepancy.