Conventional and ZOOMit DWI for Evaluation of Testis in Patients With Ipsilateral Varicocele

The current study aimed to investigate the effects of varicocele on testis parenchyma by using ZOOMit DWI and conventional DWI and to compare both diffusion methods. Forty-five patients with unilateral varicocele diagnosed by physical examination and color Doppler ultrasound between July 2015 and December 2015 and 32 healthy volunteers were included in the study. ZOOMit and conventional DWI were performed for all patients with a 3-T MRI scanner. Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values calculated using both conventional and ZOOMit DWI decreased in the patients with varicocele of the testis, when compared with the healthy volunteer control group. Furthermore, it was determined that conventional and ZOOMit ADC values for the contralateral side without varicocele also decreased when compared with the healthy volunteer control group (p < 0.05). However, there was no statistically significant difference between testes with or without varicocele in terms of conventional ADC values (p = 0.183), whereas ZOOMit ADC values for testes with varicocele were found to be statistically significantly lower than those for testes without varicocele (p < 0.05). A significant negative correlation was found between venous diameter measured both at rest and during the Valsalva maneuver and ZOOMit ADC values in testes with varicocele. For patients with varicocele, conventional and ZOOMit DWI may be predictive of histopathologic changes in the testis, and ZOOMit DWI may be more effective in the diagnosis, treatment, and postoperative response in patients with varicocele when compared with conventional DWI.