Dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI in the assessment of testicular perfusion in infertile men with clinical varicocele

Varicocele represents the most common correctable cause of male infertility. The presence of non-invasive imaging parameters providing evidence as to which patients with varicocele are at risk for infertility would be important. To explore the role of dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using semi-quantitative parameters in the assessment of testicular perfusion in infertile men with clinical varicocele. The study cohort included 11 infertile men with clinical varicocele and six controls, with prior paternity. Subtraction DCE-MRI was performed after gadolinium administration, using a three-dimensional fast field-echo sequence. Time-signal intensity curves were created and semi-quantitative parameters were calculated. The independent samples t-test was used to compare basic T1 perfusion parameters between infertile testes with clinical varicocele and normal testes. Logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the most significant predictor of the diagnosis of clinical varicocele. Both testes with clinical varicocele and normal testes enhanced moderately and homogeneously, with a linear increase of enhancement throughout the examination. Higher mean values of maximum enhancement ( P = 0.026), maximum relative enhancement ( P = 0.024), and wash-in rate ( P = 0.013) were detected in the testes of infertile men with clinical varicocele, compared to the normal population. The wash-in rate proved the most significant predictor of the diagnosis of clinical varicocele ( P = 0.013). DCE-MRI may provide a valuable insight into the testicular perfusion of infertile men with clinical varicocele. The wash-in rate proved a strong and independent predictor of the diagnosis of clinical varicocele.