Undescended testicle
Possible solutions:
Problem description
During intrauterine development, the testicles form in the abdominal cavity and gradually descend through the inguinal canal into the scrotum. The scrotum is necessary for the proper development of male sex cells (sperm), as a temperature of 4 °C lower than body temperature is required. Cryptorchidism (failure of the testicles to descend into the scrotum) is one of the most common congenital disorders of the male genitalia, affecting 0.8% of boys. It occurs more often in premature babies. It is a developmental defect with a higher risk of cancer in the affected testicle and a higher risk of infertility.
There are several forms of this condition. The testicle may be located in the abdominal cavity and not palpable on examination, or its descent may stop anywhere between the abdominal cavity and the scrotum. If it is stuck in the groin or in the space above the scrotum, then it is usually palpable. In the case of anorchia, the testicle is completely absent due to damage during prenatal development. Persistent undescended testicles represent an operative diagnosis. The success rate of hormonal treatment with human chorionic gonadotropin is usually very low (up to 20%) and is currently not considered indicated.
How can this problem be solved?
Operation of undescended testicle – What is an undescended testicle? During intrauterine development, the testicles form in the abdominal cavity and gradually descend through the inguinal canal into the scrotum. The scrotum is needed for the proper development of male sex cells (sperm) because it provides the testicle with an optimal temperature of 4 °C lower than body temperature. If the testicle does not descend, surgery is necessary to prevent infertility or an increased risk of cancer.
