1.Analysis of notifiable infectious diseases in Zhejiang Province in 2024
DING Zheyuan ; YANG Yan ; FU Tianying ; LU Qinbao ; WANG Xinyi ; WU Haocheng ; LIU Kui ; LIN Junfen ; WU Chen
Journal of Preventive Medicine 2025;37(5):433-438,442
		                        		
		                        			Objective:
		                        			To investigate the epidemic situation of notifiable infectious diseases in Zhejiang Province in 2024, so as to summarize the epidemic characteristics.
		                        		
		                        			Methods:
		                        			Data of notifiable infectious diseases cases in Zhejiang Province from January 1 to December 31, 2024 were collected from the Infectious Disease Surveillance System of Chinese Disease Prevention and Control Information System. The epidemiological characteristics were analyzed according to the classification and transmission routes using the descriptive epidemiological method.
		                        		
		                        			Results:
		                        			A total of 32 types of notifiable infectious diseases with 1 858 695 cases and 392 deaths were reported in Zhejiang Province in 2024, with a reported incidence of 2 804.73/105 and a reported mortality of 0.591 5/100 000. A total of 238 infectious disease public health emergencies were reported, of which 218 (91.60%) occurred in schools and kindergartens. There were 22 types of class A and B notifiable infectious diseases reported, with incidence of 470.62/100 000 and mortality of 0.591 5/100 000. Totally 10 types of class C notifiable infectious diseases, with a reported incidence of 2 334.11/105, and no deaths were reported. Classified by transmission route, respiratory infectious diseases had the highest reported incidence of 2 423.87/100 000, among which influenza exhibited the highest reported incidence of 2 024.22/100 000. The reported incidence of intestinal infectious diseases was 312.94/105, among which the incidence of other infectious diarrhea and hand-foot-mouth disease (HFMD) were high, with reported incidences of 169.52/100 000 and 136.18/100 000, respectively. Blood-borne and sexually transmitted infectious diseases accounted for the largest number of reported deaths, among which AIDS had the highest mortality of 0.424 0/100 000. Natural and insect-borne infectious diseases exhibited a low reported incidence of 1.37/105. The reported incidence of dengue fever was 0.40/100 000, and 95.08% of the cases were imported.
		                        		
		                        			Conclusions
		                        			The reported incidence of respiratory and intestinal infectious diseases and the reported mortality of AIDS were high in Zhejiang Province in 2024. It is recommended to strengthen the prevention and control of infectious diseases such as influenza, other infectious diarrhea, and HMFD in schools and kindergartens.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
2.Analysis of notifiable infectious diseases in Zhejiang Province in 2023
FU Tianying ; WU Haocheng ; LU Qinbao ; DING Zheyuan ; WANG Xinyi ; YANG Ke ; WU Chen ; LIN Junfen
Journal of Preventive Medicine 2024;36(5):369-373
		                        		
		                        			Objective:
		                        			To investigate epidemiological characteristics of notifiable infectious diseases in Zhejiang Province in 2023, so as to provide the evidence for strengthening prevention and control of infectious diseases.
		                        		
		                        			Methods:
		                        			Data pertaining to notifiable infectious diseases reported in Zhejiang Province in 2023 were retrieved from the Infectious Disease Surveillance System of Chinese Disease Prevention and Control Information System. The incidence and mortality were analyzed according to the classification of notifiable infectious diseases and transmission routes, and epidemiological characteristics of infectious diseases were descriptively analyzed.
		                        		
		                        			Results:
		                        			Thirty types of notifiable infectious diseases with 2 955 699 cases and 427 deaths were reported in Zhejiang Province in 2023, with a reported incidence rate of 4 493.93/105 and a reported mortality rate of 0.649 2/105. A total of 679 notifiable infectious disease emergencies were reported, with 26 514 cases and 1 case death (rabies). The emergencies mainly occurred in schools and preschool institutions, with 621 cases accounting for 91.46%. There were 1 case of cholera reported in class A notifiable infectious diseases and no death, 22 types of class B notifiable infectious diseases, with a reported incidence rate of 552.46/105 and a reported mortality rate of 0.644 7/105, and 8 types of class C notifiable infectious diseases, with a reported incidence rate of 3 941.48/105 and a reported mortality rate of 0.004 6/105. The incidence rates of respiratory, intestinal, blood-borne and sexually transmitted, natural and insect-borne infectious diseases were 4 028.67/105, 381.59/105, 81.15/105 and 1.35/105, respectively, according to transmission routes. Influenza (3 561.78/105) and COVID-19 (423.77/105) reported the highest incidence, and AIDS (0.477 4/105) and tuberculosis (0.130 8/105) reported the highest mortality.
		                        		
		                        			Conclusion
		                        			The incidence rates of respiratory and intestinal infectious diseases were high in Zhejiang Province in 2023, and schools and preschool institutions were the main places of diseases occurred.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
3.Characteristics of public health emergencies in Zhejiang Province in 2023
LU Qinbao ; WU Haocheng ; WU Chen ; FU Tianying ; DING Zheyuan ; WANG Xinyi ; YANG Ke ; LIN Junfen
Journal of Preventive Medicine 2024;36(6):487-490
		                        		
		                        			Objective:
		                        			To investigate the characteristics of public health emergencies in Zhejiang Province in 2023, so as to provide the reference for public health risk management.
		                        		
		                        			Methods:
		                        			Data of public health emergencies and related information in Zhejiang Province from January 1 to December 31, 2023 was collected through Emergency Public Reporting System of Chinese Disease Prevention and Control Information System. Attack rates, disease types, distribution of time and places, and responses were descriptively analyzed.
		                        		
		                        			Results:
		                        			A total of 718 public health emergencies were reported in 2023 in Zhejiang Province, and all were infectious disease events. There were 27 128 reported cases and 3 deaths, with an attack rate of 3.22%. The top five infectious diseases with the highest number of reported events were influenza, norovirus infection, monkeypox, varicella and hand, foot and mouth disease, accounting for 95.54% of total reported events. There were 355 public health emergencies with less than 30 cases each, accounting for 49.44%. The reported emergencies peaked from February to March (186 events, 25.91%) and from November to December (327 events, 45.54%), and mainly occurred in schools and preschool institutions (651 events, 90.67%). The median responding time, reporting time and duration of emergencies were 6.50 (interquartile range, 10.84) h, 0.53 (interquartile range, 0.63) h and 7.24 (interquartile range, 11.71) d, respectively.
		                        		
		                        			Conclusion
		                        			Public health emergencies in Zhejiang Province in 2023 were mainly caused by influenza and norovirus infection, with February, March, November and December being the peak reporting periods, and schools and preschool institutions being the main places where these events occurred.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
4.Retrospective study on the impact of penile corpus cavernosum injection test on pe-nile vascular function
Yan CHEN ; Kuangmeng LI ; Kai HONG ; Shudong ZHANG ; Jianxing CHENG ; Zhongjie ZHENG ; Wenhao TANG ; Lianming ZHAO ; Haitao ZHANG ; Hui JIANG ; Haocheng LIN
Journal of Peking University(Health Sciences) 2024;56(4):680-686
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			Objective:To investigate the impact of age,various hormonal levels,and biochemical markers on penile cavernous body vascular function in patients with erectile dysfunction(ED).Me-thods:A retrospective analysis of clinical data from male patients with ED who underwent color duplex Doppler ultrasonography(CDDU)and intracavernosal injection test(ICI)at the Reproductive Medicine Center of Peking University Third Hospital from January 2020 to August 2023.Data were managed and processed using SPSS 29.0,and a multivariable Logistic regression analysis was conducted.Results:A total of 700 ED patients were included,with 380 showing negative ICI results and 320 positive.In the study,84 patients had a peak systolic velocity(PSV)<25 cm/s,while 616 had PSV ≥ 25 cm/s;202 patients had end-diastolic velocity(EDV)>5 cm/s,and 498 had EDV ≤5 cm/s.264 patients had ab-normal PSV and/or EDV results,and 436 had normal results for both.Patients with vascular ED had sig-nificantly lower estrogen levels(t=-3.546,P<0.001),lower testosterone levels(t=-2.089,P=0.037),and a higher rate of hyperglycemia(x2=12.772,P=0.002)compared with those with non-vascular ED.The patients with arterial ED were older(t=3.953,P<0.001),had a higher rate of hyperglycemia(x2=9.518,P=0.009),and a higher estrogen/testosterone ratio(t=2.330,P=0.020)compared with those with non-arterial ED.The patients with mixed arteriovenous ED had higher age(t=3.567,P<0.001),lower testosterone levels(t=-2.288,P=0.022),a higher rate of hyperglycemia(x2=12.877,P=0.002),and a larger estrogen/testosterone ratio(t=2.096,P=0.037)compared with those with normal findings.Multifactorial Logistic regression analysis indicated that higher levels of estrogen were a protective factor for vascular ED(OR=1.009,95%CI:1.004-1.014),and glucose 7.0 mmol/L was a risk factor(OR=0.381,95%CI:0.219-0.661).Older age was a risk factor for arte-rial ED(OR=0.960,95%CI:0.938-0.982).Additionally,older age(OR=0.976,95%CI:0.958-0.993)and glucose levels of 5.6-6.9 mmol/L(OR=0.591,95%CI:0.399-0.876)were also risk fac-tors for mixed arterio-venous ED.Conclusion:Hyperglycemia and aging may impair penile cavernous body vascular function,while higher levels of estrogen may have a protective effect on it.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
5.Establishment and validation of a laboratory-based multiparameter model for predicting bone marrow metastasis in malignant tumors
Haocheng LI ; Wei XU ; Zhonghua DU ; Lin SONG ; Dan LIU ; Huihui SHAO ; Chunhe ZHAO ; Weiqi CUI ; Linlin QU
Chinese Journal of Laboratory Medicine 2024;47(11):1248-1255
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			Objective:To establish and validate the prediction model for bone marrow metastasis (BMM) in malignant tumors by screening out laboratory multiparameters.Methods:This case-control study collected 444 cases of malignant tumor patients who were hospitalized in the First Hospital of Jilin University from March 2018 to March 2024, including 243 cases for model establishment set and 201 cases for model validation set. The model establishment set was divided into BMM positive group (81 cases) and BMM negative group (162 cases), and the model validation set was divided into positive group (67 cases) and a negative group (134 cases). We collected patients′ clinical information such as gender, age, clinical diagnosis, and results of 47 laboratory tests including routine blood analysis, coagulation, liver function, tumor markers, potassium, sodium, chloride, and calcium ion tests, bone marrow morphology, and bone marrow biopsy. BMM was taken as the outcome event, differencial variables were analyzed using inter group comparisons, the correlation among parameters was analyzed using Pearson correlation analysis, the risk factors for BMM were analyzed using multivariate conditional logistic regression analysis, to establish logistic model, followed by efficiency evaluation on BMM predictive model using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves.Results:In the model establishment set, Pearson correlation analysis of 28 parameters that differed between the BMM positive and negative groups revealed that the correlation coefficients of 17 parameters, including mean platelet volume (MPV), hematocrit (HCT), hemoglobin (HGB), and prothrombin time (PT), were no more than 0.6 ( P<0.05). Further multivariate conditional logistic regression analysis demonstrated that MPV, HGB, HCT, PT, red cell distribution width (RDW), platelet count (PLT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), chloride (Cl -), and mean erythrocyte hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) were the risk factors of BMM occurence in malignancy [MPV ( OR=9.929, 95% CI 2.688-71.335), HCT ( OR=8.232, 95% CI 6.223-9.841), HGB ( OR=4.300, 95% CI 1.947-16.577), PT ( OR=3.738, 95% CI 1.359-11.666), RDW ( OR=1.995, 95% CI 1.275-3.807), ALP ( OR=1.025, 95% CI 1.012-1.045), PLT ( OR=1.014, 95% CI 1.002-1.031), MCHC ( OR=0.724, 95% CI 0.523-0.880) and Cl -( OR=0.703, 95% CI 0.472-0.967)]. In the model establishment set, combiation of risk factors provided an AUC of 0.943 (95% CI 0.898-0.987, P<0.001), a sensitivity of 86.3%, and a specificity of 89.2% for BMM prediction. In the model validation set, the AUC was 0.924 (95% CI 0.854-0.960, P<0.001), with a sensitivity and specificity of 86.7% and 83.8%, respectively. Conclusion:This study built and validated a multiple-parameter model for BMM, which may facilitate the timely detection of BMM and provide reference for decision making of bone marrow aspiration.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
6.Artificial Intelligence in Andrology: From Semen Analysis to Image Diagnostics
Ramy Abou GHAYDA ; Rossella CANNARELLA ; Aldo E. CALOGERO ; Rupin SHAH ; Amarnath RAMBHATLA ; Wael ZOHDY ; Parviz KAVOUSSI ; Tomer AVIDOR-REISS ; Florence BOITRELLE ; Taymour MOSTAFA ; Ramadan SALEH ; Tuncay TOPRAK ; Ponco BIROWO ; Gianmaria SALVIO ; Gokhan CALIK ; Shinnosuke KURODA ; Raneen Sawaid KAIYAL ; Imad ZIOUZIOU ; Andrea CRAFA ; Nguyen Ho Vinh PHUOC ; Giorgio I. RUSSO ; Damayanthi DURAIRAJANAYAGAM ; Manaf AL-HASHIMI ; Taha Abo-Almagd Abdel-Meguid HAMODA ; Germar-Michael PINGGERA ; Ricky ADRIANSJAH ; Israel Maldonado ROSAS ; Mohamed ARAFA ; Eric CHUNG ; Widi ATMOKO ; Lucia ROCCO ; Haocheng LIN ; Eric HUYGHE ; Priyank KOTHARI ; Jesus Fernando Solorzano VAZQUEZ ; Fotios DIMITRIADIS ; Nicolas GARRIDO ; Sheryl HOMA ; Marco FALCONE ; Marjan SABBAGHIAN ; Hussein KANDIL ; Edmund KO ; Marlon MARTINEZ ; Quang NGUYEN ; Ahmed M. HARRAZ ; Ege Can SEREFOGLU ; Vilvapathy Senguttuvan KARTHIKEYAN ; Dung Mai Ba TIEN ; Sunil JINDAL ; Sava MICIC ; Marina BELLAVIA ; Hamed ALALI ; Nazim GHERABI ; Sheena LEWIS ; Hyun Jun PARK ; Mara SIMOPOULOU ; Hassan SALLAM ; Liliana RAMIREZ ; Giovanni COLPI ; Ashok AGARWAL ;
The World Journal of Men's Health 2024;42(1):39-61
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			 Artificial intelligence (AI) in medicine has gained a lot of momentum in the last decades and has been applied to various fields of medicine. Advances in computer science, medical informatics, robotics, and the need for personalized medicine have facilitated the role of AI in modern healthcare. Similarly, as in other fields, AI applications, such as machine learning, artificial neural networks, and deep learning, have shown great potential in andrology and reproductive medicine. AI-based tools are poised to become valuable assets with abilities to support and aid in diagnosing and treating male infertility, and in improving the accuracy of patient care. These automated, AI-based predictions may offer consistency and efficiency in terms of time and cost in infertility research and clinical management. In andrology and reproductive medicine, AI has been used for objective sperm, oocyte, and embryo selection, prediction of surgical outcomes, cost-effective assessment, development of robotic surgery, and clinical decision-making systems. In the future, better integration and implementation of AI into medicine will undoubtedly lead to pioneering evidence-based breakthroughs and the reshaping of andrology and reproductive medicine. 
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
7.Management of Male Infertility with Coexisting Sexual Dysfunction: A Consensus Statement and Clinical Recommendations from the Asia-Pacific Society of Sexual Medicine (APSSM) and the Asian Society of Men’s Health and Aging (ASMHA)
Eric CHUNG ; Jiang HUI ; Zhong Cheng XIN ; Sae Woong KIM ; Du Geon MOON ; Yiming YUAN ; Koichi NAGAO ; Lukman HAKIM ; Hong-Chiang CHANG ; Siu King MAK ; Gede Wirya Kusuma DUARSA ; Yutian DAI ; Bing YAO ; Hwancheol SON ; William HUANG ; Haocheng LIN ; Quang NGUYEN ; Dung Ba Tien MAI ; Kwangsung PARK ; Joe LEE ; Kavirach TANTIWONGSE ; Yoshikazu SATO ; Bang-Ping JIANN ; Christopher HO ; Hyun Jun PARK
The World Journal of Men's Health 2024;42(3):471-486
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			 Male infertility (MI) and male sexual dysfunction (MSD) can often coexist together due to various interplay factors such as psychosexual, sociocultural and relationship dynamics. The presence of each form of MSD can adversely impact male reproduction and treatment strategies will need to be individualized based on patients’ factors, local expertise, and geographical socioeconomic status. The Asia Pacific Society of Sexual Medicine (APSSM) and the Asian Society of Men’s Health and Aging (ASMHA) aim to provide a consensus statement and practical set of clinical recommendations based on current evidence to guide clinicians in the management of MI and MSD within the Asia-Pacific (AP) region. A comprehensive, narrative review of the literature was performed to identify the various forms of MSD and their association with MI. MEDLINE and EMBASE databases were searched for the following English language articles under the following terms: “low libido”, “erectile dysfunction”, “ejaculatory dysfunction”, “premature ejaculation”, “retrograde ejaculation”, “delayed ejaculation”, “anejaculation”, and “orgasmic dysfunction” between January 2001 to June 2022 with emphasis on published guidelines endorsed by various organizations. This APSSM consensus committee panel evaluated and provided evidence-based recommendations on MI and clinically relevant MSD areas using a modified Delphi method by the panel and specific emphasis on locoregional socioeconomic-cultural issues relevant to the AP region. While variations exist in treatment strategies for managing MI and MSD due to geographical expertise, locoregional resources, and sociocultural factors, the panel agreed that comprehensive fertility evaluation with a multidisciplinary management approach to each MSD domain is recommended. It is important to address individual MI issues with an emphasis on improving spermatogenesis and facilitating reproductive avenues while at the same time, managing various MSD conditions with evidence-based treatments. All therapeutic options should be discussed and implemented based on the patient’s individual needs, beliefs and preferences while incorporating locoregional expertise and available resources. 
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
8.Relationship between serum reproductive hormones and sperm parameters and surgical outcomes in Micro-TESE
Chenyao DENG ; Defeng LIU ; Wenhao TANG ; Lianming ZHAO ; Haocheng LIN ; Jiaming MAO ; Zhe ZHANG ; Yuzhuo YANG ; Haitao ZHANG ; Hui JIANG ; Kai HONG
Journal of Modern Urology 2023;28(12):1032-1037
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			【Objective】 To investigate the relationship between serum reproductive hormones and sperm parameters and outcomes of micro-testicular sperm extraction (Micro-TESE). 【Methods】 Clinical data of 1 091 patients treated in our hospital during Jan. and Dec.2021 were retrospectively analyzed. According to the sperm concentration,the patients were divided into non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) group (group A,n=418),normal sperm concentration group (group B,n=615),mild to moderate oligospermia group (group C,n=18),severe oligospermia group (group D,n=18),and obstructive azoospermia group (group E,n=22). In group A,244 cases treated with Micro-TESE were grouped into the sperm-acquired group (Micro-TESE positive group,n=82) and non-sperm-acquired group (Micro-TESE negative group,n=162),and according to the pathological types of testicular tissue,the patients were divided into normal testicular tissue with hypospermatogenesis group (HYPO group,n=129),maturation arrest group (MA group,n=10),and support-only cell syndrome group (SCO group,n=122). Differences in semen parameters and reproductive hormone levels were compared,and relationship between reproductive hormones and sperm parameters and Micro-TESE outcomes was determined with Pearson correlation analysis. 【Results】 In the sperm concentration subgroup,the testicular volume of group A was lower than that of group B and group E (P<0.05); the levels of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) in group A were the highest (P<0.05),but the level of testosterone (T) was the lowest (P<0.05); the levels of anti-mullerian hormone (AMH) and serum inhibin B (INHB) in group A were lower than those in group B and group E (P<0.05),the normal sperm morphology rate in group B was higher than that in group A and group E (P<0.05); the percentage of forward moving sperm in group B was the highest (P<0.05). Pearson correlation analysis revealed that sperm concentration,normal sperm morphology rate,and percentage of forward moving sperm were negatively correlated with age,FSH,LH (P<0.05),and positively correlated with testicular volume,T,AMH,and INHB (P<0.05). NOA patients were grouped according to testicular histology and pathology. The INHB in the SCO group was the smallest of the three groups (P<0.05); the FSH and LH levels in the SCO group were higher than those in the MA group (P<0.05),while the 17β-estradiol (E
		                        		
		                        	
9.The Renaissance of Male Infertility Management in the Golden Age of Andrology
Aldo E. CALOGERO ; Rossella CANNARELLA ; Ashok AGARWAL ; Taha Abo-Almagd ABDEL-MEGUID HAMODA ; Amarnath RAMBHATLA ; Ramadan SALEH ; Florence BOITRELLE ; Imad ZIOUZIOU ; Tuncay TOPRAK ; Murat GUL ; Tomer AVIDOR-REISS ; Parviz KAVOUSSI ; Eric CHUNG ; Ponco BIROWO ; Ramy Abou GHAYDA ; Edmund KO ; Giovanni COLPI ; Fotios DIMITRIADIS ; Giorgio Ivan RUSSO ; Marlon MARTINEZ ; Gokhan CALIK ; Hussein KANDIL ; Gianmaria SALVIO ; Taymour MOSTAFA ; Haocheng LIN ; Hyun Jun PARK ; Nazim GHERABI ; Nguyen Ho VINH PHUOC ; Nguyen QUANG ; Ricky ADRIANSJAH ; Sandro La VIGNERA ; Sava MICIC ; Damayanthi DURAIRAJANAYAGAM ; Ege Can SEREFOGLU ; Vilvapathy Senguttuvan KARTHIKEYAN ; Priyank KOTHARI ; Widi ATMOKO ; Rupin SHAH
The World Journal of Men's Health 2023;41(2):237-254
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			 Infertility affects nearly 186 million people worldwide and the male partner is the cause in about half of the cases. Meta-regression data indicate an unexplained decline in sperm concentration and total sperm count over the last four decades, with an increasing prevalence of male infertility. This suggests an urgent need to implement further basic and clinical research in Andrology. Andrology developed as a branch of urology, gynecology, endocrinology, and, dermatology. The first scientific journal devoted to andrological sciences was founded in 1969. Since then, despite great advancements, andrology has encountered several obstacles in its growth. In fact, for cultural reasons, the male partner has often been neglected in the diagnostic and therapeutic workup of the infertile couple. Furthermore, the development of assisted reproductive techniques (ART) has driven a strong impression that this biotechnology can overcome all forms of infertility, with a common belief that having a spermatozoon from a male partner (a sort of sperm donor) is all that is needed to achieve pregnancy. However, clinical practice has shown that the quality of the male gamete is important for a successful ART outcome. Furthermore, the safety of ART has been questioned because of the high prevalence of comorbidities in the offspring of ART conceptions compared to spontaneous conceptions. These issues have paved the way for more research and a greater understanding of the mechanisms of spermatogenesis and male infertility. Consequently, numerous discoveries have been made in the field of andrology, ranging from genetics to several “omics” technologies, oxidative stress and sperm DNA fragmentation, the sixth edition of the WHO manual, artificial intelligence, management of azoospermia, fertility in cancers survivors, artificial testis, 3D printing, gene engineering, stem cells therapy for spermatogenesis, and reconstructive microsurgery and seminal microbiome. Nevertheless, as many cases of male infertility remain idiopathic, further studies are required to improve the clinical management of infertile males. A multidisciplinary strategy involving both clinicians and scientists in basic, translational, and clinical research is the core principle that will allow andrology to overcome its limits and reach further goals. This state-of-the-art article aims to present a historical review of andrology, and, particularly, male infertility, from its “Middle Ages” to its “Renaissance”, a golden age of andrology. 
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
10.Consensus and Diversity in the Management of Varicocele for Male Infertility: Results of a Global Practice Survey and Comparison with Guidelines and Recommendations
Rupin SHAH ; Ashok AGARWAL ; Parviz KAVOUSSI ; Amarnath RAMBHATLA ; Ramadan SALEH ; Rossella CANNARELLA ; Ahmed M. HARRAZ ; Florence BOITRELLE ; Shinnosuke KURODA ; Taha Abo-Almagd Abdel-Meguid HAMODA ; Armand ZINI ; Edmund KO ; Gokhan CALIK ; Tuncay TOPRAK ; Hussein KANDIL ; Murat GÜL ; Mustafa Emre BAKIRCIOĞLU ; Neel PAREKH ; Giorgio Ivan RUSSO ; Nicholas TADROS ; Ates KADIOGLU ; Mohamed ARAFA ; Eric CHUNG ; Osvaldo RAJMIL ; Fotios DIMITRIADIS ; Vineet MALHOTRA ; Gianmaria SALVIO ; Ralf HENKEL ; Tan V. LE ; Emrullah SOGUTDELEN ; Sarah VIJ ; Abdullah ALARBID ; Ahmet GUDELOGLU ; Akira TSUJIMURA ; Aldo E. CALOGERO ; Amr El MELIEGY ; Andrea CRAFA ; Arif KALKANLI ; Aykut BASER ; Berk HAZIR ; Carlo GIULIONI ; Chak-Lam CHO ; Christopher C.K. HO ; Ciro SALZANO ; Daniel Suslik ZYLBERSZTEJN ; Dung Mai Ba TIEN ; Edoardo PESCATORI ; Edson BORGES ; Ege Can SEREFOGLU ; Emine SAÏS-HAMZA ; Eric HUYGHE ; Erman CEYHAN ; Ettore CAROPPO ; Fabrizio CASTIGLIONI ; Fahmi BAHAR ; Fatih GOKALP ; Francesco LOMBARDO ; Franco GADDA ; Gede Wirya Kusuma DUARSA ; Germar-Michael PINGGERA ; Gian Maria BUSETTO ; Giancarlo BALERCIA ; Gianmartin CITO ; Gideon BLECHER ; Giorgio FRANCO ; Giovanni LIGUORI ; Haitham ELBARDISI ; Hakan KESKIN ; Haocheng LIN ; Hisanori TANIGUCHI ; Hyun Jun PARK ; Imad ZIOUZIOU ; Jean de la ROSETTE ; Jim HOTALING ; Jonathan RAMSAY ; Juan Manuel Corral MOLINA ; Ka Lun LO ; Kadir BOCU ; Kareim KHALAFALLA ; Kasonde BOWA ; Keisuke OKADA ; Koichi NAGAO ; Koji CHIBA ; Lukman HAKIM ; Konstantinos MAKAROUNIS ; Marah HEHEMANN ; Marcelo Rodriguez PEÑA ; Marco FALCONE ; Marion BENDAYAN ; Marlon MARTINEZ ; Massimiliano TIMPANO
The World Journal of Men's Health 2023;41(1):164-197
		                        		
		                        			 Purpose:
		                        			Varicocele is a common problem among infertile men. Varicocele repair (VR) is frequently performed to improve semen parameters and the chances of pregnancy. However, there is a lack of consensus about the diagnosis, indications for VR and its outcomes. The aim of this study was to explore global practice patterns on the management of varicocele in the context of male infertility. 
		                        		
		                        			Materials and Methods:
		                        			Sixty practicing urologists/andrologists from 23 countries contributed 382 multiple-choice-questions pertaining to varicocele management. These were condensed into an online questionnaire that was forwarded to clinicians involved in male infertility management through direct invitation. The results were analyzed for disagreement and agreement in practice patterns and, compared with the latest guidelines of international professional societies (American Urological Association [AUA], American Society for Reproductive Medicine [ASRM], and European Association of Urology [EAU]), and with evidence emerging from recent systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Additionally, an expert opinion on each topic was provided based on the consensus of 16 experts in the field. 
		                        		
		                        			Results:
		                        			The questionnaire was answered by 574 clinicians from 59 countries. The majority of respondents were urologists/ uro-andrologists. A wide diversity of opinion was seen in every aspect of varicocele diagnosis, indications for repair, choice of technique, management of sub-clinical varicocele and the role of VR in azoospermia. A significant proportion of the responses were at odds with the recommendations of AUA, ASRM, and EAU. A large number of clinical situations were identified where no guidelines are available. 
		                        		
		                        			Conclusions
		                        			This study is the largest global survey performed to date on the clinical management of varicocele for male infertility. It demonstrates: 1) a wide disagreement in the approach to varicocele management, 2) large gaps in the clinical practice guidelines from professional societies, and 3) the need for further studies on several aspects of varicocele management in infertile men. 
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
            

Result Analysis
Print
Save
E-mail