Application of Color Doppler Ultrasound during Diagnosis and Therapy of Varicocele

  • Prof Ensheng Xue, Dept. of Ultrasound of Union Hospital of Fujian Medical university, China
  • Rongxhi Liang, Dept. of Ultrasound of Union Hospital of Fujian Medical university, China
  • Prof Liwu Lin, Dept. of Ultrasound of Union Hospital of Fujian Medical university, China

    • Purpose: To assess the application value of color Doppler ultrasound during diagnosis and therapy of varicocele.
    Method: Five hundred and eighty-seven patients with varicocele and 47 cases prior to high ligation of spermatic vein were inspected by color Doppler ultrasound. The Acuson Sequioa 512 and Aloka 5500 color Doppler ultrasound units with 10-14 MHZ transducer were applied.
    Result: Three hundred and six had bilateral varicocele. Two hundred and fifty-six had left-sided and 25 had a right-sided varicocele. Seventy had the dilatation of cremasteric vein. There were three typical appearances of color Doppler ultrasound of a varicocele: orthograde-type, shunt-type and stagnation-type. The sonographic appearances of varicocele after ligaturing of spermatic vein had following patterns: 1Pampiniform plexus dilatation and regurgitation during Valsalva maneuver(25 patients).2Pampiniform plexus no dilatation, and also no regurgitation during Valsalva maneuver(13 patients). 3Pampiniform plexus dilatation, but no regurgitation during Valsalva’s maneuver(9 patients).
    Conclusions: Sonographic typing could be conducive to choice of operation manner of varicocele. Color Doppler ultrasound may be used evaluating the curative effect of high ligation of spermatic vein.