Undescended testes is condition in which the testes have not descended into the infant’s scrotum as they normally do prior to birth, and continue to remain inside the newborn’s abdomen instead. 

Undescended testes, referred to as cryptorchidism, occur at birth in about 3% of boys.  In most cases, the testes usually descend by themselves within 6 months. Premature infants are more prone to having this abnormal condition. Children born in families with a history of cryptorchidism also have a greater chance of having undescended testes. In about 50% of cases, only the right testis may be Undescended. About 25% of affected boys may have this condition on both sides.

Undescended testes do not cause any symptoms in the affected boys. But later in life, they can get twisted inside their abdomen, resulting in a condition called testicular torsion. This can have consequences such as impaired sperm production and hernia in men. Those who have testicular torsion are at higher risk of developing testicular cancer too. The testes which are not descended can be brought down surgically into the scrotum. This surgery is usually performed if the testes do not descend on their own even after the child is one year old.

Retractile testes may occur in some boys whose testes which are descended tend to move back into the abdomen at times. Testes with this back and forth movement are termed hypermobile. This condition does not carry any additional risk of complications such as cancer, hernia or infertility. Surgical correction is also not required. In most cases, once the boys reach puberty, the testes do not usually retract back into the abdomen anymore.

Watch This Video about Undescended Testes and Retractile Testes:

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Yasser Elnahas

MD, PHD, Professor Of CardioVascular Surgery

Dr. Yasser Elnahas, Is an associate Professor of Cardiovascular Surgery. Dr. Elnahas was trained as a fellow At Texas Heart Institute And Mayo Clinic Foundation.Dr. Elnahas is dedicated to educating the general public about different disease conditions and simplifying the medical knowledge in an easy to understand terminology.

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