Abstract
Three hundred and twenty-eight prepubertal boys with cryptorchidism who had orchiopexy were reviewed in regard to the attachment of the gubernaculum. Normal attachment of the gubernaculum was found in only 19 out of 240 unilateral testes (8%), and in 12 out of 176 testes (7%) of 88 patients with bilateral cryptorchidism. Abnormal attachment of the gubernaculum was found in 307 out of 338 testes (91%). These data suggest that hormonal therapy for undescended testis may be effective in only 9% of the cases with cryptorchidism, and it cannot replace surgery.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Scorer, G. D.: The incidence of incomplete descent of the testicle at birth.Arch. Dis. Child., 31, 98 (1956).
Shapiro, S. R., Bodai, B. I.: Current concepts of the undescended testis.Surg. Gynecol. Obstet., 147, 617 (1978)
Frey, H. L., Rajifer, J.: Incidence of cryptorchidism.Urol. Clin. North Am., 9, 327 (1982)
Cour-Palais, I. J.: Spontaneous descent of the testicle.Lancet, 1, 1403 (1966)
Hamilton, J. B., Hubert, G.: Effect of synthetic male hormone substance on descent of testicles in human cryptorchidism.Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol. Med., 39, 4 (1938)
Bigler, J. A., Hardy, L. M., Scott, H. V.: Cryptorchidism treated with gonadotropic principle.Am. J. Dis. Child., 55, 273 (1938).
Rajifer, J.: Congenital anomalies of the testis. In: Walsh, P. C., Gittes, R. E., Perlmuter, A. D., Stamey, T. A. (eds.): Campbell's Urology, Vol. 2. W. B. Saunders Co., Philadelphia-London-Tokyo 1986, p. 1947
Rajifer, J.: Surgical and hormonal therapy for cryptochidism: An overview.Horm. Res. 30, 139 (1988)
Sabine, M. P. F., De Muinck Keiser-Schrama, Hazebroek, F. W. J.: Hommonal treatment of cryptorchidism: Role of pituitary gonadal axis.Am. J. Dis. Child., 143, 980 (1989)
Hutson, J. M., Donahoe, P. K.: The hormonal control of testicular descent.Endocrine Reviews, 6, 270 (1986)
Backhouse, K. M.: The gubernaculum testis Hunteri: testicular descent and maldescent.Ann. R. Coll. Surg. Engl., 35, 15 (1964)
Hadziselimovic, F., Herzog, B.: Etiology of testicular descent. In: Hafez, E. S. E. (ed.): Clinics in Andrology: Descended and Cryptorchid Testis, Vol. 3. Martinus Nijhoff, The Hague 1980, p. 138.
Wells, L. J.: Descent of the testis: anatomical and hormonal considerations.Surgery, 14, 436 (1943)
Hadziselimovic, F.: Mechanism of testicular descent.Urol. Res., 12, 155 (1984).
Frey, H. L., Peng, S., Rajifer, J.: Synergy of abdominal pressure and androgens in testicular descent.Biol. Reprod., 19, 1233 (1983)
Frey, H. L., Rajifer, J.: Role of the gubernaculum and intraabdominal pressure in the process of testicular descent.J. Urol., 131, 475 (1984).
Wit, J. M., Delemarre-Van De Waal, H. A., Bax, N. M. A., Van Den Brande, J. L.: Effect of LHRH treatment on testicular descent and hormonal response in cryptorchidism.Clin. Endocrinol., 24, 539 (1986).
Forest, M. G., David, M., David, L., Chatelain, P. G., Francois, R., Bertland, J.: Undescended testis: comparison of two protocols of treatment with human chorionic gonadotropin.Horm. Res., 30, 198 (1988)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Shima, H., Okamoto, E., Terakawa, T. et al. Is hormonal therapy necessary in prepubertal boys with cryptorchidism?. International Urology and Nephrology 23, 605–609 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02549854
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02549854