Background: Adolescent varicocele and its relationship to future infertility remains poorly defined, in part due to absence of semen analysis data. Testicular hypotrophy has functioned as an alternative marker of impaired testicular function in adolescents. We examined the relationship of semen parameters to grade of adolescent varicocele, and testicular hypotrophy.
Methods: We reviewed the adolescent varicocele data base from our institution, including ultrasound calculated testicular volumes and clinical grade. Semen analyses were performed by a single laboratory in an affiliated adult institution according to WHO guidelines.
Results: 27 patients between ages 14 and 21 (Mean=17.6) years were studied. Median total sperm count was 80.5 million (interquartile range, 41.6-183.6); median total motile sperm count was 45.5 million (interquartile range 6.1-127.5). 8 of 27 patients (30%) had total motile sperm counts less than 10 million.
Volume differential and varicocele grade were not correlated with total sperm count (Pearson r = -0.08, p = 0.71, Spearman rho = 0.17, p = 0.43); they were also not correlated with total motile sperm count (Pearson r = -0.05, p = 0.84, Spearman rho = 0.07, p = 0.77).
The only variable associated with total sperm count and total motile sperm count was age, in which older boys had higher counts for total sperm (Pearson r = 0.34, p = 0.08) and total motile sperm (Pearson r = 0.39, p = 0.05).
Conclusions: In adolescents with varicocele total motile sperm count does not appear to be correlated to grade or testicular hypotrophy.

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