What is the Odds Ratio for Testicular Cancer after Cryptorchidism?

Discussion Cryptorchidism is the failure of one or both testes to descend from the abdomen into the scrotum. Congenital undescended testis (UDT)is common in young infants (1-4% in term infants and 45% in preterm infants) in that the testes will be palpable but remain high, but most testes will descend by 3-6 months and by 9 months of age only 1% remain undescended. The scrotum often appears underdeveloped. Sometimes the testes cannot be identified and is intra-abdominal at birth. Intra-abdominal testes are less likely to migrate to the scrotum and therefore are more likely to remain undescended. Acquired undescended testis is thought to be caused by the spermatic cord not elongating at the same rate as the body (especially the pelvis). A common cause is a fibrous remnant of the processus vaginalis that does not elongate. The scrotum may be normal or underdeveloped. Retractile testes are testis that remain high in the scrotum and/or groin but can be brought down into the scrotum without difficulty. Orchiopexy, where the testes is surgically placed into position within the scrotum, is recommended to be accomplished by around 1 year of age because of the increased risks of cosmetic problems, infertility and testicular malignancy. Cosmetic problems are not uncommon. Boys and men who underwent orchiopexy as infants often will have a smaller testicle or for it to be aligned higher in the scrotum after puberty. Rates of testicular atrophy are about 3-4% and increase to ~14% with ...
Source: PediatricEducation.org - Category: Pediatrics Authors: Tags: Uncategorized Source Type: news