Undescended testes Flashcards
(6 cards)
What is the normal physiology of descent of the testes?
the testes develop in the abdomen and then gradually migrate down through the inguinal canal and into the scrotum (they normally reach the scrotum prior to birth)
What is undescended testes?
When the testes haven’t made it out of the abdomen by birth.
Also referred to as cryptorchidism; they might be palpable in the inguinal canal.
What are the risks of undescended testes?
Undescended testes in older children/after puberty holds a higher risk of testicular torsion, infertility, and testicular cancer.
The longer the testes take to descend, the less likely it is this will happen spontaneously.
What are the risk factors for undescended testes?
- family history of undescended testes
- low birth weight
- SGA
- prematurity
- maternal smoking during pregnancy
What is the management for undescended testes?
- watch and weight for newborns → in most cases they’ll descend in the first 3-6 months
- if they haven’t descended by 6 months, they’re seen by a paediatric urologist
- orchidopexy (surgical correction of undescended testes) is carried out between 6 and 12 months of age
If they haven’t descended by 6 months, they’re seen by a paediatric urologist; orchidopexy (surgical correction of undescended testes) is carried out between 6 and 12 months of age.
What are retractile testes?
- a retractile testicle is normally sited in the scrotum but moves up and into the inguinal canal when the cremasteric reflex is activated
- it’s considered a normal variant and resolves as they go through puberty and the testes settle into the scrotum
- occasionally they may fully retract or fail to descend and require surgical correction with orchidopexy
It’s considered a normal variant and resolves as they go through puberty and the testes settle into the scrotum; occasionally they may fully retract or fail to descend and require surgical correction with orchidopexy.
