Undescended testicle
Alternative Names
Cryptorchidism, Empty scrotum - undescended testes, Scrotum - empty (undescended testes), Monorchism, Vanished testes – undescended, Retractile testesWhat is Undescended testicle
Undescended testicle is a testicle that hasn't moved into its proper position in the bag of skin hanging behind the penis (scrotum) prior to the birth of a baby boy. Undescended testicles are a common. The medical term for undescended testicles is cryptorchidism.
About 5 out of 100 baby boys are born with an undescended testicle. It is most common in babies who were born before their due date or who were very small at birth.
Today, what causes an undescended testicle is not known. This common condition runs in some families (can be inherited). Most of the time, the testicle descends (drops) on its own by the time the baby is 3 months old. If your baby’s testicle hasn't dropped by the time he is 6 months of age, your doctor may suggest treatment.
Signs and symptoms
An undescended testicle doesn't cause any pain or other symptoms. The scrotum may look a little smoother or less developed on one side, or the side without a testicle may look smaller and flatter. You can't feel the testicle in the scrotum on the side where it hasn't descended.
Possible complications
If one or both testicles do not descend, a man may be infertile later in life. Men who have an undescended testicle at birth are at higher risk of developing testicular cancer in both testes. Surgery to correct the problem may result in damage to the testicle.
What causes
The exact cause of an undescended testicle is not known. A combination of genetics, maternal health and other environmental factors may disrupt the hormones, physical changes and nerve activity that influence the development of the testicles. Undescended testicles are caused by something that interrupts the normal development of the testicles.
It is not known exactly why this happens, although a number of risk factors have been identified.
Prevention
There is no known way to prevent undescended testes. Preventable complications of undescended testes may occur, however, as your child grows and matures. These include:
- Infertility in men or testicular cancer in adulthood.
- Injury to the undescended testes.
- Emotional stress-While surgery usually results in a normal appearing scrotum, the undescended testis is sometimes smaller than the normal one. If your son becomes concerned about this as an older child or adolescent, prosthesis (artificial replacement) can be placed in the scrotum.
Treatment
If the testicle hasn't dropped on its own within 6 months, your doctor may recommend surgery (orchiopexy or orchidopexy). Surgery is done when the baby is 9 to 15 months old. It is safe and effective and has few risks. Most babies recover quickly.
When babies have a testicle that can't be felt, doctors may do a different surgery that needs only a small cut (laparoscopy).
Another treatment is hormone therapy. It may cause the testicle to drop down into the scrotum. If itworks, surgery isn't needed. But it doesn't always work, and it may cause side effects.
