2008 Volume 25 Issue 2 Pages 52-54
Varicocelectomy is an effective treatment for chronic scrotal pain caused by varicocele, but a less invasive therapy has not been established. We planned a prospective study of the effect of keishibukuryogan for this condition, since this medicine is used for male patients with infertility due to varicocele. The clinical effect of this medicine was evaluated using a questionnaire to assess the type, extent and duration of pain. The study included 11 subjects with a mean age (±S.D.) of 40 ± 14.5 years old and a disease duration of 6.2 ± 9.4 months. The patients included 2 cases of grade I, 5 of grade II and 4 of grade III varicocele. The treatment period was 27 days and significant adverse reactions were not observed. In 72.7% of patients the pain was relieved partially or completely after treatment, with the mean VAS in all patients changing from 3.4 ± 1.2 to 1.5 ± 1.5 (p =0.0106). In the pretreatment period, 5 patients had discomfort, 5 had dull pain and 1 had sharp pain, whereas after treatment 3 patients were without pain, 7 had discomfort and 1 had dull pain. Therefore, the study shows that keishibukuryogan might be a useful option as a first line treatment for chronic scrotal pain caused by varicocele. However, this conclusion requires confirmation in a larger patient population.
