Prevalence of Varicoceles in Children and Adolescents in Namhae-gun

Gwak, Dong Hun; Kim, Bong Hwan; Park, Seong Woon

Abstract

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to elucidate the current incidence of varicoceles in unselected Korean children and adolescents.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
4271 Korean school boys aged 7-18, resided in Namhaegun, Gyungnam province were investigated. The study population comprised more than 95% (4271/4403) of all boys in the respective age in a rural country with a total population of 61,820 (29,840 males and 31,980 females). All examinations were carried out by a single urologist from March to June 2000. The patients with varicocele were divided according to the classification of Dubin-Amelar.
RESULTS
No case of varicocele was encountered in 1,233 boys between 7 to 10 years, while the incidence in the 3,038 boys aged 11 to 18 years was 9.61% (292 boys). There was a peak varicocele incidence from aged 14 to 16 (11.78-13.52%). The proportion of varicocele grades were grade I 21.58% (63/292), grade II 44.68% (131/292), grade III 33.56% (98/292). There were 2 cases of bilateral varicoceles. Other abnormalities found were 7 cryptorchidism (0.16%) and 27 hydroceles (0.63%). In 33 older boys (aged between 16-18) with varicocele, semen analyses were performed and two boys had subnormal sperm concentration.
CONCLUSIONS
Our finding of peaking at ages 14 to 16 was parallel with the old Danish report,11 but our incidence was substantially lower than the report of 16.2%.