Hormonal treatment of cryptorchidism—hCG or GnRH—a multicentre study

In a modified, double-blind controlled study, 163 prepubertal boys (aged 1.8–13.0 years) with bilateral and 94 (aged 1.5–13.1 years) with unilateral cryptorchidism were allocated to treatment with either human chorionic gonadotropin (im), gonadotrophin releasing hormone (intranasally) or placebo (intranasally). In individuals with the bilateral condition treatment with human chorionic gonadotrophin resulted in complete descent of both testes in 23% of patients. Treatment with human chorionic gonadotrophin in unilateral cryptorchidism resulted in complete descent in 19% of patients; all results were significantly better than those obtained with gonadotrophin releasing hormone or placebo. Linear and logistic regression analysis of the results obtained by treatment of bilateral disease showed that all treatments were more successful the younger the age of the boys. The data indicated that bilateral and unilateral cryptorchidism respond differently to hormonal treatment. We suggest that human chorionic gonadotrophin should be the first choice of treatment for prepubertal boys older than one year.