The testicles develop in the abdomen of the fetus and descend into the scrotum, that is, the ovarian sack, before or immediately after birth. Undescended testicle is the condition where one or both testicles are not in the scrotum after birth, and the testicles may be located in the abdomen or in the groin area on the descent path.
While the frequency of undescended testicles at birth is around 1/20, the testicles often settle in their normal places in the first 3 months. and the rate at 6 months is around 1/50.
Although the exact cause is unknown, it is suggested that genetic and hormonal factors play a role.
Risk Factors: Low birth weight. , premature birth, family history of undescended testicles, Klinefelter syndrome, Down syndrome and spina bifida, maternal alcohol and/or smoking during pregnancy.
Complications:
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Testicular cancer: Men with undescended testicles have an increased risk of testicular cancer. This risk is higher in bilateral patients and in those located in the abdomen than in the groin. Although removing the testicles reduces the risk of cancer, it does not eliminate it completely. Those with a history of undescended testicles should be careful in this regard in their future lives.
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Infertility: These people have low sperm count and quality and therefore a higher chance of infertility. Delaying treatment increases this risk even more.
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In children with undescended testicles, testicular torsion (the testicle turns around the cord and impairs blood flow) is more common in trauma and inguinal hernias.
Retractile testicle: The testicle is displaced between the groin and the scrotum. During the examination, it can easily be lowered into the scrotum, but then it can go up to the groin. This is not an abnormal situation, but a reflexive event.
Acquired Undescended testicle (descended testicle): The testicle, which is in the scrotum when the child is born, rises up and settles in the groin in the following years. p>
Absence of testicles (vanised testicle): One in every 20 children with undescended testicles has complete testicular absence.
Treatment: The aim of the treatment is to place the undescended testicle in its appropriate place in the scrotum. Performing it before 1 year reduces the risk of complications.
1-Hormone Therapy: It is rarely applied, in those very close to the scrotum and with retractile testicles. It may also be useful.
2-Surgical Treatment (orchiopexy): In testicles that do not descend within 6 months, the chance of spontaneous descent is greatly reduced. If it is done before the age of 1, the risk of complications decreases. Ideally, surgical treatment should be performed before 18 months. The testicle is removed from the adhesions in the groin and lowered into the scrotum and fixed with stitches in a special pocket created here.
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