varicocele /ver″əkōsēl′/ [L, varix, varicose vein; Gk, kele, tumor] , a dilation of the pampiniform venous complex of the spermatic cord. The varicocele forms a soft, elastic swelling that can cause pain. It is usually more pronounced and painful when the patient is standing. Varicoceles are most common in men between 15 and 25 years of age and affect the left spermatic cord more often than the right. Compare ovarian varicocele.
