Introduction
- Failure of testes to descend into the scrotum unilaterally or bilaterally
- normally mediated by MIF + androgens
- Testicle most commonly located in the inguinal canal
- can also be intra-abdominal
- Associated conditions
- prematurity
- Kallmann’s syndrome
- cystic fibrosis
- testicular feminization
| Treatment | |
| Orchidopexy | |
Prognosis, Prevention, and Complications
- Prognosis
- most descend by 3 months
- if natural descent does not occur by this time it must be removed surgically by 2 years
- Complications
- infertility
- reduced spermatogenesis due to ↑ body temperature
- atrophy/hyalinization of the seminiferous tubules due to ↑ body temperature
- testicular torsion
- seminoma/germ cell cancers
- ↑ risk of development
- risk also applies to contralateral testicle even if it descended normally
- infertility