Pediatria pre prax 2/2023

Management of undescended testes in childhood

Cryptorchidism is a common congenital malformation in pediatric urology. Even though the etiology of cryptorchidism is multifactorial, management has evolved with the clear recognition that hormonal treatment is not effective and surgery between 6–18 months of age leads to better testicular outcomes. Early diagnosis and appropriate treatment are crucial. Diagnostic laparoscopy is considered the standard approach for management of non-palpable testes, and can be combined with one- or two-stage orchidopexy, with up to 80–90 % success rates. This review discusses the indications for hormonal treatment and orchiectomy, surgical techniques for inguinal and intraabdominal testes and risks of infertility and testicular cancer.

Keywords: cryptorchidism, etiopathogenesis, diagnosis, differential diagnosis, treatment, prognosis