Varicocele – a silent killer of male fertility?

Sa？etak Under the term varicocele, we assume the varicose dilatation of the pampiniform plexus. In children under the age of 10, this is a rare finding, while it can be found in approximately 15 % of adolescents. Varicocele findings can be left-sided, right-sided and both-sided. In clinical practice, we mostly find left-sided varicoceles which can be explained by retroperitoneal anatomy. In adolescents, varicocele is usually asymptomatic, however it can also be accompanied by scrotal pain. For setting a diagnosis, a clinical examination paired with an ultrasound is mostly sufficient. Seeing as how this condition can cause long-term patient subfertility, it is of the utmost importance to make timely decisions on operating procedures. There are a number of surgical techniques that can be used to resolve the pathology. Until recently, operations have been conducted exclusively using the open transingvinal or supraingvinal technique. The use of other, less invasive methods is, however, becoming more often