Investigation of the Corrilation between Varicocele and a Testicular Temperature Using Thermal Imaging among the Soldiers Referred to the AJA 501 Hospital in 2016

Varicocele is the abnormal dilatation and tortuosity of pampiniform plexus above the testicles. The distribution pattern of abnormal heat in the scrotum can be detected by thermal imaging. The thermal imaging is a remote, noncontact and noninvasive method. The purpose of the study was to investigate the correlation between varicocele and the temperature of testicular using thermal imaging in the soldiers referred to AJA 501 hospital in 2016.
This was a descriptive study that was conducted on 56 soldiers in the AJA 501 hospital in 2016. In this study, capabilities of thermal imaging in detecting and grading varicocele were evaluated. In order to do thermography, the non-contact infrared camera of VIS-IR 640 was used. Results were reported through descriptive statistics.
In both cases, by using temperature distribution and thermography camera, it was found that there was a possibility to identify varicocele. There was thermal asymmetry and increase in the temperature of the pampiniform plexus while there was no increase in the temperature of the testicle. We also observed the asymmetry and increase in the temperature while the increase of temperature in the scrotum was noticeable. The results showed that detection capability of thermography in grade 3 varicocele was higher than other grades.
According to the results obtained from research, thermography is highly applicative in diagnosing varicocele due to safety, lack of exposure to the patient, and cheap and convenient diagnosis of varicocele. It is recommended that thermography method be used as a complementary method along ultrasound techniques.