Study On The Relationship Between Varicocele And The Prostatic Venous Plexus By Color Doppler Flow Imaging

Objective:We examined the pampiniform plexus and prostatic venous plexus by color Doppler ultrasonography to evaluate the relationship between varicocele and the prostatic venous plexus and explore the cause of the varicocele.Methods:The ultrasonic features of186patients with varicocele as the left VC group and bilateral VC group and100healthy volunteers as the control group were evaluated. The diameters and hemodynamic parameters of spermatic vein and prostatic venous plexus were measured. The diameter of the prostatic venous plexus(PVD) and the peak velocity of reflux flow(RFV) during a Valsalva maneuver and the peak velocity of antegrade flow(AFV) at rest of the3group were analyzed by statistics. The diameter of the spermatic vein(SVD) were respectively correlation analysis with the PVD, RFV and AFV in the bilateral VC group and the left VC group. In the10patients with varicocele PVD, RFV and AFV before and after varicocele repair were analyzed by statistics.Results:The PVD and RFV were greater in bilateral VC group than in left VC group and in control group. The PVD and RFV were not different in left VC group and in control group. The AFV was not different in the3group. The SVD was positively related to the PVD and RFV in bilateral VC group. The SVD was not related to the PVD and RFV in left VCⅠ and VCⅡ group, but was positively related to the PVD and RFV in left VCⅢ group. The SVD was not related to the AFV of the3group. In10men with varicocele the PVD, RFV and the AFV did not differ before vs after varicocele repair.Conclusions:Bilateral VC and left VCⅢ were related to the prostatic venous plexus, which may be associated with underlying systemic venous abnormalities.