Refers to the existence of a testicle within the abdomen that has not descended correctly into the scrotal pouch. It may be unilateral or bilateral. It affects up to 3% of term infants and up to 30% of preterm infants.
Although the cause is unknown, predisposing factors have been described: premature infant, low birth weight, twin pregnancies and maternal exposure to oestrogen during the first trimester of pregnancy.
The only symptom is the absence of a testicle in the scrotal sac. It is therefore diagnosed at routine paediatrician's visits when the newborn is examined.
Sometimes imaging tests can be performed to confirm the diagnosis, such as a CT-scan and/or abdominal ultrasound.
They usually go down on their own during the first year of life without requiring treatment. If it does not descend, hormone injections (B-HCG or testosterone) or surgery by performing an orchiopexy may be used. The earlier the surgery, the more it reduces the risk of cancer and sterility and improves the final size.
- Wood HM, Elder JS. Cryptorchidism and testicular cancer: separating fact from fiction. J Urol 2009; 181:452.
- Kollin C, Granholm T, Nordenskjöld A, Ritzén EM. Growth of spontaneously descended and surgically treated testes during early childhood. Pediatrics 2013; 131:e1174.
- Kollin C, Karpe B, Hesser U, et al. Surgical treatment of unilaterally undescended testes: testicular growth after randomization to orchiopexy at age 9 months or 3 years. J Urol 2007;178:1589.
- SEER Stat Fact Sheets: Testis. http://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/testis.html (Accessed on April 16, 2013).
- Lip SZ, Murchison LE, Cullis PS, et al. A meta-analysis of the risk of boys with isolated cryptorchidism developing testicular cancer in later life. Arch Dis Child 2013; 98:20.
- Ludwikowski B, González R. The controversy regarding the need for hormonal treatment in boys with unilateral cryptorchidism goes on: a review of the literature. Eur J Pediatr 2013; 172:5.
