Boyhood varicocele: an overlooked disorder

Varicocele is a common, but often overlooked, disorder. It appears in pre- and para-pubertal boys as well as adults. Between 1954 and 1982 23 boys with varicocele were referred to Alder Hey Children's Hospital. This small number (less than a patient a year) does not represent the true incidence of varicocele in the community as is evident from a review of the world literature. The reasons for this infrequent referral rate are discussed and a plan for treatment is proposed. The word Varicocele is derived from the latin 'varix' which means dilated vein and the Greek 'kele' meaning a tumour or swelling. In 1889 Bennet (1) described a varicocele as, 'a condition of varicosity of the veins of the spermatic cord, of congenital origin, resulting in, or associated with, a deficient development or functional imperfection of the corresponding testis in the majority of cases'. Very little attention has been paid to this disorder in children (only one paper has been published in the British literature over the past 20 years (2]. The aim of this paper is firstly to increase awareness of the prevelance of this condition and secondly to suggest a plan of treatment in the light of our experience and other reported series.