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Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staffA varicocele often produces no signs or symptoms. Rarely, it may cause pain. The pain may:
- Vary from dull discomfort — a feeling of heaviness — to sharp
- Increase with sitting, standing or physical exertion, especially over long periods
- Worsen over the course of a day
- Be relieved when you lie on your back
With time, varicoceles may enlarge and become more noticeable.
When to see a doctor
Because a varicocele usually causes no symptoms, it's often discovered during a fertility evaluation or a routine physical exam.
However, if you experience pain or swelling in your scrotum or you discover a mass on your scrotum, contact your doctor. A number of conditions can cause a scrotal mass or testicular pain, some of which require immediate treatment.
- Varicoceles. American Urological Association. http://www.urologyhealth.org/adult/index.cfm?cat=11&topic=510. Accessed Oct. 6, 2009.
- Richardson I, et al. Outcomes of varicocelectomy treatment: An updated critical analysis. Urological Clinics of North America. 2008;35:191.
- Patient fact sheet: Varicocele. American Society for Reproductive Medicine. www.asrm.org/Patients/FactSheets/Varicocele.pdf. Accessed Oct. 6, 2009.
- Report on varicocele and infertility. American Urological Association. http://www.auanet.org/content/guidelines-and-quality-care/clinical-guidelines/main-reports/varicoceleinfertility.pdf. Accessed Oct. 6. 2009.
- Khera M, et al. Evolving approach to the varicocele. Urological Clinics of North America. 2008;35:183.
