Undescended testis: 513 patients' characteristics, age at orchidopexy and patterns of referral

Abstract

Despite early diagnosis in many patients with UDT, most are referred and operated after 1 year of age, even in congenital UDT. Premature babies, those with major genitourinary anomalies, and those seen in public tertiary hospitals are referred earlier. Community health initiatives must emphasise prompt referral to allay the impact of delayed surgery.

Age at Surgery and Outcomes of an Undescended Testis

“…Two studies that were limited to congenital cases have reported 70% to 82% of cases having surgery after 12 months. 11, 30 Other studies have also reported a high proportion of orchidopexy performed later than the recommended age, but most potentially included cases of acquired UDT, which are diagnosed and treated at later ages. 11 To date, there are no current Australian guidelines that specify the importance of the timing of early surgery.…”

Shortcomings in the management of undescended testis: guideline intention vs reality and the underlying causes – insights from the biggest German cohort

“…In international comparison of therapeutic care for infant boys with cryptorchidism, Germany holds an average position (Fig. [; S1–S6, S9–S11, S13 in Data S1]). Notably, the proportion of reliable data on the timing of surgery for cryptorchidism is generally small.…”

“…Patient age at time of surgery for UDT in an international comparison [; S1–S6, S9–S11, S13 in Data S1]. …”

“…Risk factors for UDT are hypotrophy, birth weight of <2 500 g, genetic predisposition, endocrine disorders, and also environmental factors such as maternal nicotine exposure . Most cases are unilateral (only 10% involve both testes) . Descent is controlled via insulin‐like hormone 3 and androgens, although the actual pathomechanism underlying cryptorchidism remains obscure .…”

Undescended testis: Level of knowledge among potential referring health‐care providers

“…Current guidelines indicate that orchidopexy should be done between the age of 6 to 12 months, compared with older guidelines that recommended surgery before 2 years of age . However, many studies, including one from our institution, report that most boys with UDT are referred and operated beyond the recommended age of 1 year …”