[Varicocele in the child and adolescent]

Based on a series of 31 cases of children and adolescents with varicocele, the authors stress the high incidence of left testicular atrophy (71%). Other authors have emphasised the almost constant presence of histological lesions which are generally bilateral. These findings suggest that the harmful action of varicocele on spermatogenesis is more marked in children and adolescents than in adults, encouraging early surgical treatments which is almost always effective.