Scrotal ultrasonographic findings in obese infertile patients and their correlations to semen and hormonal profile

Özet

Objective: The aim of this prospective study was to compare scrotal ultrasonographic findings in obeseand normal weight infertile men and correlate these findings with semen parameters and hormonalprofile.Material and methods: A total of 188 men presented for infertility evaluation were included in this study.They were divided according to body mass indices into obese (n=96) and normal weight infertile patients(n=92). Basic infertility evaluation, semen analysis and scrotal duplex ultrasound examination in additionto measurement of serum levels of follicular stimulating hormone, testosterone and estradiol were donefor all cases. The ratio between testicular size measured by scrotal ultrasound and body mass index werecalculated.Results: Any significant differences were not observed in semen parameters, serum levels of follicularstimulating hormone and testosterone between obese and normal weight infertile men (p>0.05). Serumestradiol level was significantly higher in obese than normal weight infertile men (p<0.001). There is significant increase in subclinical varicocele, hydrocele and testicular microlithiasis detected by scrotal ultrasoundin obese infertile men than nonobese patients (p<0.05). Despite having comparable testicular size detectedon scrotal ultrasound, infertile obese men had significantly lower total testicular volume to body mass indexratio and this ratio correlated positively with semen volume, sperm concentration, total sperm count andserum testosterone but negatively with serum follicular stimulating hormone and estradiol levels.Conclusion: We therefore conclude that the incidence of subclinical varicocele, hydrocele and testicular microlithiasis was higher in obese infertile patients and the ratio between testicular volume assessed by scrotalultrasound and body mass index may be a new parameter that correlates with subfertility status in these men.