Anatomical, morphological and volumetric analysis: a review of 759 cases of testicular maldescent.

AbstractUndescended testis is the most frequent disorder of male sexual differentiation affecting 0.8% of all boys by age 1 year. Anatomical and descriptive features of undescended testis lack standardization, and often do not reflect intraoperative findings. We review a large cohort of patients treated for undescended testis and analyze anatomical, morphological and volumetric findings at orchiopexy. Of 759 patients 1 month to 9 years old entered into the study between 1985 and 1990 at our hospital 55% underwent surgery between ages 8 months and 4 years, 15.5% had bilateral undescended testis and 27.6% had a nonpalpable gonad. Preoperative physical findings correlated poorly with intraoperative observation with respect to testicular position. An ectopic gonad was diagnosed in 15% of the patients, most of whom had a patent processus vaginalis. Gubernacular attachment was in the scrotum in only a third of all cases studied. Undescended testes were softer and smaller than the contralateral gonad in the majo...