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Galea M, Brincat MR, Calleja-Agius J. A review of the pathophysiology and evidence-based management of varicoceles and pelvic congestion syndrome. HUM FERTIL 2023; 26:1597-1608. [PMID: 37190955 DOI: 10.1080/14647273.2023.2212846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Pelvic congestion syndrome (PCS) in females and varicoceles in males may be regarded as closely related conditions since the main pathophysiological cause for both processes is pelvic venous insufficiency. Varicoceles are more prevalent amongst sub-fertile males, with an approximate incidence of 15% in the general male population. PCS is commonly diagnosed amongst premenopausal multiparous women, representing one of the leading causes of chronic pelvic pain. Both conditions appear to be predominantly left-sided and are associated with oxidative stress and pro-inflammatory cascades with subsequent effects on fertility. Clinical examination and pelvic ultrasonography play an essential role in the assessment of varicoceles, PCS and chronic pelvic pain. Venography is generally considered as a gold-standard procedure for both conditions. There is still much debate on how these conditions should be managed. This review article provides a comparative analysis of the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms of both PCS and varicoceles, their impact on fertility, as well as their clinical management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Galea
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Malta, Msida, Malta
| | - Mark R Brincat
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Malta, Msida, Malta
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Mater Dei Hospital, Msida, Malta
| | - Jean Calleja-Agius
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Malta, Msida, Malta
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Lai CZ, Chen SJ, Huang CP, Chen HY, Tsai MY, Liu PL, Chen YH, Chen WC. Scrotal Pain after Varicocelectomy: A Narrative Review. Biomedicines 2023; 11:biomedicines11041070. [PMID: 37189688 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11041070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Revised: 03/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Varicocele is a frequently encountered urological disorder, which has a prevalence rate of 8 to 15% among healthy men. However, the incidence is higher in male patients with primary or secondary infertility, with up to 35 to 80% of varicocele cases occurring in this population. The clinical manifestations of varicocele typically include the presence of an asymptomatic mass that feels like a “bag of worms”, chronic scrotal pain, and infertility. Most patients with varicocele only undergo varicocelectomy after conservative treatments have failed. Unfortunately, some patients may still experience persistent scrotal pain due to a recurrence of varicocele, the development of hydrocele, neuralgia, referred pain, ureteral lesions, or nutcracker syndrome. Therefore, clinicians should consider these conditions as potential causes of postoperative scrotal pain, and take measures to address them. Several factors can assist in predicting surgical outcomes for patients with varicocele. Clinicians should consider these factors when deciding whether to perform surgery and what type of surgical intervention to use. By doing so, they can increase the likelihood of a successful surgical outcome and minimize the risk of complications such as postoperative scrotal pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chien-Zhi Lai
- School of Medicine, College of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung 404333, Taiwan
| | - Szu-Ju Chen
- Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung 407219, Taiwan
| | - Chi-Ping Huang
- School of Medicine, College of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung 404333, Taiwan
- Department of Urology, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung 404327, Taiwan
| | - Huey-Yi Chen
- Graduate Institute of Integrated Medicine, College of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung 404333, Taiwan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung 404327, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Yen Tsai
- Department of Chinese Medicine, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung 833401, Taiwan
- Kaohsiung Municipal Feng Shan Hospital (Under the Management of Chang Gung Medical Foundation), Kaohsiung 830025, Taiwan
| | - Po-Len Liu
- Department of Respiratory Therapy, College of Medicine, Regenerative Medicine and Cell Therapy Research Center, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807378, Taiwan
| | - Yung-Hsiang Chen
- Graduate Institute of Integrated Medicine, College of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung 404333, Taiwan
- Department of Psychology, College of Medical and Health Science, Asia University, Taichung 413305, Taiwan
- Department of Medical Research, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung 404327, Taiwan
| | - Wen-Chi Chen
- Department of Urology, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung 404327, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Integrated Medicine, College of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung 404333, Taiwan
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Liu Q, Li W, Hong R, Pan Y, Xue K, Liu Q, Sun X, Li H, Sha Y, Yu H, Wang D. Preoperative Transarterial Embolization of Advanced Juvenile Nasopharyngeal Angiofibroma Using n-Butyl Cyanoacrylate: Case-Control Comparison with Microspheres. J Vasc Interv Radiol 2023; 34:856-864.e1. [PMID: 36681112 DOI: 10.1016/j.jvir.2023.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Revised: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2023] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE To evaluate the efficacy and safety of transarterial embolization (TAE) with n-butyl cyanoacrylate (nBCA) for juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma (JNA). MATERIALS AND METHODS A retrospective review was performed on patients with JNA who underwent TAE and endoscopic resection between 2020 and 2022. Patients embolized with nBCA were identified, and those embolized with microspheres were set as the control group. Data on demographics, symptoms, tumor characteristics, blood loss, adverse events, residual disease, and recurrence were collected, and case-control analysis was performed for the 2 groups. Differences in characteristics between the groups were tested using the Fisher exact and Wilcoxon tests. A generalized linear model (GLM) was used to analyze the univariate and multivariate influences on blood loss. RESULTS Twenty patients were included in this study: 13 in the microsphere group and 7 in the nBCA group. The median blood loss was 400 mL (interquartile range [IQR], 200-520 mL) in the nBCA group and 1,000 mL (IQR, 500-1,000 mL) in the microsphere group (P = .028). The GLM confirmed lower blood loss in the nBCA group (relative risk, 0.58 [0.41-0.83]; P = .01). A residual tumor was found in 1 patient in each group (7.7% vs 14.3%; P = 1.000). Recurrence was not observed in any patient. None of the patients experienced adverse events during embolization. CONCLUSIONS TAE of advanced JNA with nBCA glue is safe and effective and can significantly reduce intraoperative blood loss compared with microspheres.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Liu
- Department of Radiology, Eye & ENT Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wanpeng Li
- Department of Otolaryngology, Eye & ENT Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Rujian Hong
- Department of Radiology, Eye & ENT Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yucheng Pan
- Department of Radiology, Eye & ENT Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Kai Xue
- Department of Otolaryngology, Eye & ENT Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Quan Liu
- Department of Otolaryngology, Eye & ENT Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xicai Sun
- Department of Otolaryngology, Eye & ENT Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Houyong Li
- Department of Otolaryngology, Eye & ENT Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yan Sha
- Department of Radiology, Eye & ENT Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hongmeng Yu
- Department of Otolaryngology, Eye & ENT Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Dehui Wang
- Department of Otolaryngology, Eye & ENT Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
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Ierardi AM, Biondetti P, Tsetis D, Del Giudice C, Uberoi R. CIRSE Standards of Practice on Varicocele Embolisation. Cardiovasc Intervent Radiol 2023; 46:19-34. [PMID: 36380154 DOI: 10.1007/s00270-022-03293-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Percutaneous embolisation is an effective, minimally invasive means of treating a variety of benign and malignant lesions and has been successfully used to treat varicoceles since the late 1970s, with refined and expanded techniques and tools currently offering excellent outcomes for varicocele embolisation. PURPOSE This document will presume that the indication for treatment is clear and approved by the multidisciplinary team (MDT) and will define the standards required for the performance of each modality, as well as their advantages and limitations. CIRSE Standards of Practice documents are not intended to impose a standard of clinical patient care, but recommend a reasonable approach to, and best practices for, the performance of percutaneous varicocele embolisation. METHODS The writing group was established by the CIRSE Standards of Practice Committee and consisted of five clinicians with internationally recognised expertise in embolisation of male varicoceles. The writing group reviewed the existing literature on varicocele embolisation, performing a pragmatic evidence search using PubMed to search for publications in English and relating to human subjects published from 2006 to 2021. The final recommendations were formulated through consensus. CONCLUSION Embolisation has an established role in the successful management of male varicoceles. This Standards of Practice document provides up-to-date recommendations for the safe performance of varicocele embolisation.
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