Is a testis located at the superficial inguinal pouch (Denis Browne pouch) comparable to a true cryptorchid testis?

Abstract

In a clinical study 96 prepubertal boys with 100 testes located in the superficial inguinal pouch underwent routine orchiopexy. Of 65 patients 45 (69%) who had received hormonal treatment before the surgical procedure had a closed processus vaginalis compared with only 11 of 35 (31%) who had not (p less than 0.0002). A normal epididymis was also present significantly more often in those patients receiving hormonal treatment than in those who did not (p less than 0.039). While those testes located in the superficial inguinal pouch had significantly better histology and a greater number of germ cells than those located in a high inguinal or abdominal position (p less than 0.01), the number of germ cells per tubule was nonetheless lower than that seen in the normal controls (p less than 0.01). In conclusion, a testis located at the superficial inguinal pouch behaves as a true cryptorchid testis. Furthermore, hormonal treatment before surgery has a significant effect on epididymal development and closure of the processus vaginalis.