[Ovarian varicocele: percutaneous treatment. A preliminary note]

Incontinence of ovarian veins and development of adnexal varicosities (pelvic varicocele) seems to cause pelvic pain syndrome in about 50% of the cases. Whereas the diagnosis of male varicocele is usually clinical, the same diagnosis in a woman needs instrumental methods; therefore the number of diagnosed cases is lower than the real incidence of the disease. In the last 18 months 2 patients with ovarian varicocele and chronic pelvic pain have been successfully treated by percutaneous sclerotization of the gonadal veins with resolution of the pelvic pain syndrome. We preferred this interventional procedure to the surgical one, as is usually the case with male varicocele, where percutaneous therapy is considered the treatment of choice on the basis of long-term results, since its first attempt in 1977. Considering the effectiveness of this simple and non-surgical therapy for chronic pelvic pain, we stress the importance of correct and early diagnosis of pelvic varicocele.