A varicocele is, in a man, an abnormal enlargement of the pampiniform venous plexus in the scrotum; in a woman, it is an abnormal painful swelling to the embryologically identical pampiniform venous plexus; it is more commonly called pelvic compression syndrome.

The vessels originate in the abdomen and course down through the inguinal canal as part of the spermatic cord on their way to the testis.

[citation needed] Varicocele might be noticed as soft lumps, usually above the testicle and mostly on the left side of the scrotum.

[10] Following discovery of the sign of swelling comprising a mass, varicocele can be confirmed with scrotal ultrasound, which will show dilation of the vessels of the pampiniform plexus to be greater than 2.3 mm.

[4] Whether having varicocele surgery or embolization improves male fertility is controversial, as good clinical data is lacking.

[9] A 2012 Cochrane review (updated in 2021) found tentative but unclear evidence of improved fertility among males treated for varicocele.