Evaluation of scrotal testes and pampiniform plexus examination and histopathological evaluation of left spermatic vein in kidney donor volunteer before and after left nephrectomy
Abstract
Varicocele, or venous dilatation of the pampiniform plexus, is characterized by retrograde flow in the testicular (internal spermatic) vein due to incompetent or absent valves. It is considered a significant cause of male infertility, with a prevalence rate of about 15% in healthy men and 40 -80 % in men being treated in infertility clinics. Many studies have been conducted on humans and animal models in the field of varicocele, but the exact mechanism of varicocele and the etiology of varicocele occurrence are not well known. Therefore, due to the rarity of studies in this field, we decided to evaluate of scrotal testes and the pampiniform plexus and the histopathological evaluation of the left spermatic vein in kidney donor volunteers before and after left nephrectomy. It is hoped that by using this information, doctors can make an informed decision about choosing a diagnostic method.
Methods:
This study was conducted on 50 kidney donors who underwent donor nephrectomy in Imam Reza Tabriz educational hospitals during the year 1401 and 1402. Data related to age, sex, presence of varicocele and its grade, assessment of the diameter of the left pampiniform venous plexus, and descriptions of the histopathological reports of the left gonadal vein were extracted by pathologists, radiologists, and transplant surgeons by using a structured checklist.
Results: Examining the presence and grading of varicocele severity through examination and Doppler ultrasound were largely similar and there was a slight difference. Out of 29 patients without clinical varicocele, 26 had healthy valves and 3 had dysfunctional valves. Out of 15 patients with Grade 2 and 3 varicocele,there was not intact valve in any of the left spermatic vein, and only one of 6 patients with grade 1 varicocele had an intact valve. And 5 others had an inefficient valve