Also known as Cryptorchidism
ABOUT THE DISEASE
Testicles are part of the male body responsible for making male hormones and sperm. Usually both testicles are inside the scrotum. However during pregnancy the testicles develop in the abdominal cavity and just before delivery or a few days after birth, they begin to descend into the scrotum. When one or both the testicles fail to move down into the scrotum, the condition is called cryptorchidism or undescended testicles.
This is a fairly common ailment in premature babies and occurs in 3-4% of full term babies. Men with cryptorchidism are thought to be at greater risk of testicular cancer and fertility problems.
DIAGNOSIS
- Physical examination
CAUSES
There are no known reasons identified for this problem however an imbalance of hormones may be one of the reasons why the testicles have failed to descend.
TREATMENT METHODS
- Hormonal treatment with HCG may be tried
- Spontaneous descent may occur
- If nothing else works, operation for undescended testis (orchiopexy) is performed to get the testicles in place.
It is essential to get this treated at the earliest, as after the 1st year the testicles might lose their power to produce sperms and also the chances of testicular cancer increase.
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