Abstract
It is a common clinical practice to estimate FSH, LH and testosterone levels in patients with unilateral undescended testis (U/L UDT) as a prognostic pointer to fertility potential. Is this practice correct? To ascertain this aspect, new born rats were operated to create experimental U/L UDT by gubernaculectomy and anchoring the gubernaculum to anterior abdominal wall. Fertility and hormone levels were evaluated later in adult life. Though fertility of rats with U/L UDT was significantly less (p<0.01) than the controls, no significant alterations were found in the levels of serum testosterone, FSH and LH. Even though variations in the hormone levels may be responsible, to a certain extent, for the decrease in fertility potential in U/L UDT, estimation of sex hormone levels in U/L UDT is not a sensitive indicator of fertility potential. U/L UDT may additionally be affecting fertility through non-endocrinological mechanisms.
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Srinivas, M., Agarwala, S., Jha, P. et al. Endocrinological parameters in experimental unilateral undescended testis. Indian J Pediatr 66, 193–196 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02761205
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02761205