Symptoms Diagnosis Varicocele
Symptoms Diagnosis Varicocele
Dragging-like or aching pain within scrotum
Feeling of heaviness in the testicle(s)
Infertility
Atrophy (shrinking) of the testicle(s)
Visible or palpable(able to be felt)enlarged vein
Diagnosis: Varicocele can be reliably diagnosed with ultrasound, which will show dilatation of the vessels of the pampiniform plexus to greater than 2 mm. The patient being studied should undergo a provocative maneuver, such as Valsalva's maneuver (straining, like he is trying to have a bowel movement) or standing up during the exam, both of which are designed to increase intraabdominal venous pressure and increase the dilatation of the veins.
Doppler ultrasound is a technique of measuring the speed at which blood is flowing in a vessel. An ultrasound machine that has a Doppler mode can see blood reverse direction in a varicocele with a Valsalva, increasing the sensitivity of the examination.
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