AB081. Research on epididymis inflammatory mass in 1,021 patients with varicocele

Background: To study the morbidity situation of inflammatory mass in epididymis head of varicocele (VC) patients and explore the mechanism of VC causing male sterility.

Methods: In total, 1,021 cases of VC with male infertility including 989 cases of VC on the left side, 554 cases of VC on both sides and 8 cases of VC on the right side, divided in mild-to-moderate group and severe group respectively. And107 cases of male infertility without VC as control group. Compared the incidence and location of the epididymis inflammatory mass, the temperature of the scrotum, sperm viability (a + b)%, neutral a-glucosidase levels and sex hormone levels between these groups.

Results: The incidence of inflammatory mass on the left side of the epididymis head were 21.8% [167] in mild-to-moderate group of VC on the left side, 58.1% [54] in severe group of VC on the left side, 14.4% [20] in mild-to-moderate group of VC on both sides, 26.7% [4] in severe group of VC on both sides and 12.1% [13] in control group. The incidence of inflammatory mass on both sides of the epididymis head were 48.4% [371] in mild-to-moderate group of VC on the left side, 7.5% [7] in severe group of VC on the left side, 28.8% [40] in mild-to-moderate group of VC on both sides, 25% [3] in severe group of VC on both sides, 25% [2] in group of VC on the right side and 23.4% [25] in control group. The incidence of inflammatory mass on the epididymis head in cases of VC with male infertility was higher than that in cases of male infertility without VC (P<0.05). The incidence of inflammatory mass on the cauda epididymis was 3.0% [23] in mild-to-moderate group of VC on the left side, 0.6% [8] in severe group of VC on the left side, 2.0% [3] in mild-to-moderate group of VC on both sides, 13.3% [2] in severe group of VC on both sides and 7.5% [8] in control group. VC patients with left and right scrotal temperatures higher than the control group, the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). Sperm viability in VC patients with epididymis inflammatory mass, VC patients without epididymis inflammatory mass, the control group with epididymis inflammatory mass and the control group without epididymis inflammatory mass were 17.42±10.65, 34.71±12.31, 20.45±8.29 and 35.63±8.75, respectively. neutral a-glucosidase levels in these four groups were 19.13±5.62, 34.82±7.51, 26.47±5.62, 46.38±9.27, respectively. Sperm viability and neutral a-glucosidase levels in VC patients with epididymis inflammatory mass were significantly lower than other groups (P<0.05).

Conclusions: The morbidity rate of epididymis inflammatory mass in VC patients was significantly higher. Epididymis inflammatory mass was direct cause that VC lower sperm motility and glycosidic levels.

Keywords: Male infertility; varicocele (VC); epididymis; inflammatory mass