• Isa Sincer, Emrah Erdal, Adnan Gucuk, Emre Bostancı, and Yilmaz Gunes.
• Abant Izzet Baysal University, Department of cardiology.
• Afr Health Sci. 2020 Dec 1; 20 (4): 1754-1760.

BackgroundVaricocele is abnormal dilation of testis veins. The precise mechanism of varicocele is not fully understood despite some hypothesis were suggested in the literature. Disequilibrium between constrictor and dilatator mechanism of the veins have been shown to cause varicocele. High-grade varicoceles have been also linked to endothelial dysfunction and increased vasoconstriction.ObjectivesWe hypothesized that epicardial fat thickness (EFT), flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) and aortic stiffness (AS) could be associated with varicocele. In the present study, we aimed to compare vascular parameters such as FMD, EFT and AS in healthy subjects and high-grade varicocele patients.MethodsThe study population consisted of 35 men with high-grade varicocele and 32 age- and sex-matched control subjects younger than 45 years old. This is a cross-sectional study conducted at Bolu Abant Izzet Baysal University Hospital between May to October 2018.ResultsEFT, aortic diastolic diameters (AoDD) and EFT/BMI ratio were significantly higher in control group than in patients with high-grade (p=0.012, p=0.044, p=0.026, respectively). EFT and EFT /BMI ratio were significantly and inversely correlated with presence of varicocele (r=-0.422, p=0.009; r=-0.38, p=0.026, respectively).ConclusionThe present study suggests that high-grade varicocele may be associated with decreased echocardiographic EFT but not with aortic stiffness and FMD.© 2020 Sincer I et al.

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