Mean Platelet Volume, Platelet Distribution Width, and Platelet Count in Varicocele: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background/Aims: The aim of this study was to elucidate the usefulness of platelet indices, mean platelet volume (MPV), platelet distribution width (PDW), and platelet count in diagnosis and monitoring of varicocele. Methods: The current study included 525 patients and 379 healthy subjects from five eligible studies. We performed meta-analysis of MPV, PDW, and platelet count and mean differences in these platelet indices between healthy subjects and varicocele patients. Results: The pooled MPVs were 8.168 fL (95% confidence interval [CI] 7.589 to 8.747) and 8.801 fL (95% CI 8.028 to 9.574) in healthy subjects and varicocele patients, respectively. The pooled mean difference in MPV between healthy subjects and varicocele patients was 0.834 fL in case-control studies (95% CI 0.195 to 1.473, P = 0.011). In both healthy subjects and varicocele patients, low platelet count subgroups showed higher MPV than high platelet count subgroups. The mean difference in MPV was higher in low platelet count subgroup. There was no significant difference in PDW between healthy subjects and varicocele patients. Conclusion: Taken together, our data showed that platelet count was significantly lower in varicocele patients than in healthy subjects. Varicocele patients showed significantly higher MPV and lower platelet count than healthy subjects. MPV levels of patients differed according to platelet counts. (C) 2016 The Author(s) Published by S. Karger AG, Basel