Objective:To analyze the cause of varicocele (VC) recurrence and investigate the efficacy of sub-inguinal microsurgical varicocelectomy (MV) for recurrent VC.Methods:All of 16 inpatients diagnosed as recurrent VC, in the Department of Andrology of the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University from 2015 April to 2019 April, were performed sub-inguinal MV. The age of the inpatients was 18-36 years old, median 27 years old.5 cases were originally performed retroperitoneal high ligation of spermatic vein and other 11 cases were originally performed laparoscopic varicocelectomy. During the review one to three years after the previous operation, all of 16 patients were diagnosed as VC recurrence. The complains of these patients during the review included male subfertility (10 cases) and scrotal pain (12 cases), in which 6 cases’ complains were male subfertility with scrotal pain. After admission, 13 patients were classified as Grade Ⅲ (left in 8 cases, bilateral in 5 cases) and 3 patients as Grade Ⅱ (all left). The median of their visual analogue scale (VAS) was 2.5. Color doppler flow imaging (CDFI) grading showed: Grade Ⅲ in 12 cases (left in 7 cases, bilateral in 5 cases), Grade Ⅱ in 4 cases (all left). Particularly, 12 of them were Graded as Ⅲ simultaneously accompanying with Nut-cracker Phenomenon (NCP). Preoperative tests showed that the average serum testosterone was (16.2±4.9)nmol/ml, the average sperm concentration was (11.8±3.9)×10 6/ml and the progressive motility rate (PR) was (24.4±4.2)%. All of the patients were performed sub-inguinal MV using general anesthesia and supine position. The spermatic cords were clearly exposed and padded up by inserting gauze strips under them. During the operation, the field was magnified 4-6 times with the microscope. Then all of the dilated external and internal spermatic veins were ligated, at the same time the internal spermatic artery and lymph vessels were well preserved. During these operations, 11 patients underwent left-side MV, while other 5 did bilateral MVs. During these MVs, we found twisted and dilated external and internal spermatic veins in all cases and well preserved the internal spermatic arteries and lymph vessels. The number of ligated left and right external spermatic veins were(2.1±0.6) and (1.4±0.5)respectively and the number of ligated left and right internal spermatic veins were (10.1±1.1) and (6.6±0.5) respectively. We also found out(1.3±0.5) internal spermatic arteries and (3.0±1.0)lymph-vessels on left side. On right side, there were (1.4±0.5) internal spermatic arteries and (2.6±0.5) lymph-vessels respectively. At last, we summarily analyzed the pre-operative and post-operative VAS, serum testosterone, CDFI and semen analysis data. Results:All of the 16 sub-inguinal MVs were successfully performed. All patients were reviewed comprehensively 6 months after MV. The reviewed results showed that the post-operative VAS was significantly reduced ( Z=-2.994, P<0.05), palpable scrotal vessels disappeared and Valsalva tests were negative. No obvious reflux of internal spermatic veins were detected by CDFI. Interestingly, the sperm concentration and motility were both significantly improved 6 months after MV ( P<0.05), while there was not remarkable increase of the serum testosterone after MV ( P>0.05). During the follow up, no testicular atrophy, hydrocele and other complications were found. Up to submission, five of the ten patients who presented for male subfertility have impregnated their wives. Conclusions:The most possible cause of VC recurrence could be the omission of the external and internal spermatic veins, particularly in the grade Ⅲ VC patients or VC accompanied with NCP. The sub-inguinal MV, which can discover more twisted spermatic veins and at the same time preserve the spermatic artery and lymph-vessels, shows better clinical efficacy than other procedures.

AIM:To investigate the efficacy and anti-hepatic fibrosis of alfacalcidol combined with ursodeoxycholic acid(UDCA)in primary biliary chol-angitis(PBC).METHODS:Seventy cases of PBC pa-tients with 25 hydroxyvitamin D(25(OH)D3)＜50 nmol/L,admitted to Fenyang Hospital in Shanxi Province from June 2022 to June 2023,who met the inclusion criteria,were randomly divided into 35 cases in the treatment group and 35 cases in the control group.and the treatment group was treat-ed with alfacalcidol combined with UDCA;the con-trol group was treated with UDCA alone;after 6 months of treatment,the patients were examined for 25(OH)D3,platelets,liver function,immunoglob-ulin,liver stiffness(LSM),and adverse drug reac-tions,and the FIB-4 index,APRI score,GLOBE score,and UK-PBC score were calculated.Measurements that satisfied the normal distribution were ex-pressed as(x)±s,and comparisons between the two groups were made with the t-test;those that did not satisfy the normal distribution were expressed as M(P25,P75)was used to express the information,and the Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the two groups.Response rates were compared with the chi-square test.RESULTS:The response rates in the control and experimental groups after treatment were 42.85％and 71.42％;y-glutamyl transpeptidase(GGT)was 160(128,194)and 85(72,102)U/L;alkaline phosphatase(ALP)was 156(123,264)and 110(56,141)U/L;respectively;im-munoglobulin M(IgM)were 3.51±0.84 and 2.71±0.81 g/L;25(OH)D3 was 40.21±3.25 and 57.06±14.76 nmol/L;respectively,liver hardness was 10.8(8.3,15.1)and 8.9(6.7,12.2)KPa;respectively,and FIB-4 index was 2.28(0.99,3.66)and 1.46(0.97,2.55);respectively,APRI scores were 0.65(0.33,1.09)and 0.30(0.17,0.53);respectively,GLOBE scores were 0.85±0.73 and 0.13±0.51,and UK-PBC scores were 0.024(0.018,0.060)and 0.021(0.012,0.033),and the differences were statistically signifi-cant(all P＜0.05).CONCLUSION:Alfacalcidol com-bined with UDCA significantly increased the treat-ment response rate of PBC patients compared with UDCA alone,and alfacalcidol improved hepatic fi-brosis to a certain extent,contributing to the im-provement of PBC without adverse effects.