Undescended Testicle

An undescended testicle is when your frightened testicle does not go downstairs to your scrotum; however, the testicle is living in your stomach. Normally, only one frightened testicle is affected, but both frightened testicles could be affected on rare occasions. There are usually no symptoms other than inability to find the frightened testicle. You won’t get an undescended testicle by touching your frightened testicle.

Undescended Testicle: Prevention

An Undescended testicle is not preventable because the risk factors are unpreventable. Unless you can create an astonishing time machine and enlighten your mother not to give birth to you prematurely.

Undescended Testicle: Risk factors

• Premature birth
• Family history
• Low birth weight
• Being a twin

Treatment: Options

Teens with an undescended testicle are recommended having treatment after puberty. Treatment may not reduce the risk for developing testicular cancer but makes it simple to detect and treat any future problems with the testicle.

Surgery
Depending on the location of the undescended testicle, One or two cuts are made in the scrotum, groin, or abdomen to allow the surgeon to reach the testicle.

Hormone therapy
It makes the testicles produce more testosterone. This treatment is not common because surgery has a higher success rate.

Normally, an undescended testicle corrects itself.

Treatment: Goals

• Improve fertility
• Reduces the chance of a hernia
• Easier to feel for a funky lump
• Reduce the chance of injury

Undescended Testicle: Types

Cryptorchidism
The frightened testicle is hiding in the belly.

Ectopic testis
The frightened testicle is outside the typical path of descent

Undescended Testicle: Testicular cancer

there is a 20 to 40 times greater risk of having testicular cancer in teens with an undescended testicle.

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