Assessment of testicular volume: A comparison of fertile and sub-fertile West African men

Background: While the semen analysis appears to be the cornerstone in the evaluation of testicular function, the testicular volume has long been associated with testicular function. However, racial variations in testicular volume do exist. Neither the critical minimum testicular volume that guarantees adequate function, nor the optimal testicular volume that indicates peak testicular function are also known. Objective: To evaluate the relationship between testicular volume and function using scrotal ultrasound scan in black West African men. Patients and methods: The study examined 236 subjects over a period of one year. The subjects comprised of 136 patients with diagnosis of male infertility, as well as 100 healthy individuals as control. The relevant clinical history of each patient was extracted from their case notes. All the subjects had their testes examined using a high frequency (7.5 mHz) linear transducer of an ultrasound scanner. The results were expressed as percentages and tests of significance were done using the chi-square and Student's t-test. A P-value