Effect of age at operation, location of testis and preoperative hormonal treatment on testicular growth after cryptorchidism

Abstract

Purpose: We evaluated the effect of patient age, primary location of the gonad and preoperative human chorionic gonadotropin administration on future testicular growth in patients treated for cryptorchidism.

Materials and methods: Testicular volume was measured in 75 adults treated for cryptorchidism when they were 10 months to 13 years old.

Results: The mean volume of the cryptorchid testes plus or minus standard deviation, whether unilateral or bilateral, was 11 +/- 6 ml. compared to 20 +/- 7 ml. for the spontaneously descended testes in patients with unilateral cryptorchidism. The results showed no significant correlation between patient age at treatment or original testicular location and final testicular volume, although the 22 testes of 18 patients undergoing surgery after age 5 years were somewhat smaller (9 +/- 5 ml.) than the 66 testes of 55 younger patients (12 +/- 6 ml.). However, 26 patients who had received human chorionic gonadotropin treatment had a significantly smaller testis (9 +/- 5 ml.) than did 57 treated with surgery alone (12 +/- 6 ml., p < 0.05).

Conclusions: Early orchiopexy at age younger than 2 years is not necessarily essential. Adult testicular volume is slightly greater in patients with cryptorchidism if treated at ages up to 5 years. Preoperative location of the testis in otherwise healthy boys exerts no definite effect on final testicular volume. Preoperative human chorionic gonadotropin administration may have an adverse effect on future testicular growth.