PURPOSE: This case-control study was aimed at evaluating testicular volume, puberal and genital development, and the prevalence of varicocele in adolescents and young adults with shistosomiasis in the hepatosplenic form associated with bleeding esophageal varices. METHODS: The study involved 22 young males with schistosomiasis as described, submitted to splenectomy, left gastric vein ligature and auto-implant of splenic tissue in the greater omentum during childhood. The mean follow-up period was 4 years after surgery. The control group included healthy volunteers from a school in the same region where the cases lived. They were randomly selected, matched by age and epidemiological characteristics, and had schistosomiasis ruled out. All participants had complete history taken and were submitted to a thorough clinical and ultrasonographic examinations. Special attention was given to sexual characteristics, testicular ultrasonography and dopplerfluxometry of spermatic veins. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Patients with schistosomiasis had significant deficits in puberal and genital development, testicular volume, specially the left one, and a high prevalence of varicocele (61.5%) without a straight association with testicular atrophy.
Varicocele; Testicular volume; Schistosomiasis mansoni; Child; Adolescent; Young adult; Portal hypertension
