Sensitivity of scrotal scintigraphy in the diagnosis of varicocele

Scrotal scintiangiography was performed in 136 infertile males. Thirty patients (22%) were clinically suspected of varicocele. Scintigraphically, the number of abnormal observations was much higher (52 patients, 38%). Correlation of scintigraphic findings with results of clinical examination, surgical data, and sperm analysis indicated a sensitivity of 86 to 92% for scrotal scintigraphy, whereas the sensitivity for clinical evaluation is only 50%.