Varicocele among infertile men in Qatar

Objective of this retrospective study was to assess the presence and clinical grade of varicocele among Qatari and non-Qatari men evaluated for infertility. Diagnosis of varicocele was performed clinically and confirmed via colour Doppler ultrasonography. A total of 455 infertile male patients (mean age 36.3 +/- 7.6years) were divided into either Qatari (n=91, mean age 37.3 +/- 9.1years) or non-Qatari (n=364, mean age 36.0 +/- 7.1years) groups. Among all patients, 43.1% (n=196) were confirmed to have varicocele, of which 40 were Qatari and 156 non-Qatari. Among all patients, 171 (37.6%) presented with left-sided varicocele and 25 (5.5%) with bilateral varicocele. Of the 196 patients with varicocele, grade I was given to 40 (20.4%), grade II to 68 (34.7%) and grade III to 88 (44.9%). Grade II and III varicocele were seen significantly more frequently than grade I among all patients and non-Qatari patients (p<.05). Grade II varicocele was seen more frequently than grades I or III among Qatari patients, but difference was not significant. Grade III was seen significantly more frequently than grade I among patients with secondary infertility (p<.05). Varicocele is an important health issue in Qatar among both Qatari and non-Qatari men.