Abstract
INTRODUCTION: To study the stimulating effect of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) on spermatogenesis in patients with varicocele and infertility undergoing varicocelectomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In the study, 188 infertile patients with varicocele were included. Open inguinal varicocelectomy was performed. They were randomized into 2 groups and hCG (91 patients) was administered intramuscularly by dosage of 5,000 international units every week for 3 months. A semen analysis was obtained at 6 months, post-operatively and cases were followed for 2 years for pregnancy report. RESULTS: Semen analysis of the patients shows a significant improvement in all parameters 6 months after varicocelectomy without any superiority between the 2 groups. During the follow-up, 56 couples (61.5%) in hCG treated and 22 couples (22.7%) in the group treated only by varicocelectomy achieved pregnancy. Patients treated with varicocelectomy plus hCG therapy had a significant superior pregnancy rate compared to the other group (P=0.0001). CONCLUSION: Administration of hCG in this group of infertile patients might be helpful in order to enhance pregnancy rate. However some more conclusive studies are needed to be able to recommend such therapy for infertile men due to varicocele.