Varicocele is not exclusive to adults; it can present during adolescence (ages 10-19). Because testes develop rapidly during puberty, a varicocele can stunt this growth. In this article, I discuss adolescent varicocele diagnosis and treatment.
When is Surgery Indicated in Teens?
Semen analysis is often unavailable or impractical in younger teens. Therefore, the main criteria for surgery is testicular volume asymmetry. If the affected testis is 10-20% smaller than the normal side, microsurgery is recommended to allow the testis to recover and catch up in growth.