The Prevalence of Grade III Varicocele and Undescended Testis in Turkish Adolescent Males

Objective: To determine the grade III varicocele and undescended testis (UDT) prevalence, testicular atrophy rate, and treatment rate in adolescent boys aged 13-15 in the Turkish population. Methods: Healthy boys who were candidates for military high schools were evaluated between June and July 2015. Patients with undescended testis or grade III varicocele were recorded. Also, the presence of testicular atrophy and history of previous surgeries were recorded. The prevalence of grade III varicocele and UDT, testicular atrophy rate and treatment data were assessed. Results: Grade III varicocele was detected in 627 (6.48%) of 9669 boys. Testicular atrophy due to grade III varicocele was detected in 213 (33.97%) of the cases. Patients who did not undergo varicocelectomy are more likely to have testicular atrophy than patients who underwent varicocelectomy (35.37% vs 19.64%, p=0.018). The UDT was detected in 96 (0.99%) candidates. Of those, 76 (79.16%) candidates had unilateral, and 20 (20.83%) candidates had bilateral UDT. 84 (87.50%) candidates underwent at least one surgery for the management of UDT and 12.5% of the candidates (n=12) were not aware of their diseases. Conclusion: This study shows us the prevalence of grade III varicocele in our population. Varicocele is a progressive disease that can cause fertility and testicular atrophy increases with the puberty.