TREATMENT WITH HUMAN CHORIONIC-GONADOTROPIN FOR CRYPTORCHIDISM - CLINICAL AND HISTOLOGICAL EFFECTS

The efficacy of hCG treatment was studied in 182 cryptorchid patients. The efficacy of the treatment correlated with the initial position of the testis. None of the abdominal testes reached a normal position, w hereas 90% of high scrotal testes descended during the treatment. Fift y-four boys who were treated unsuccessfully with hCG and 29 untreated boys were biopsied. The biopsies were performed on 32 scrotal and 87 m aldescended testes to examine the state of the organ and the effects o f hCG treatment. In biopsies, the volume densities of seminiferous tub ules, interstitial tissue and blood vessels were counted, and the sect ions screened for interstitial bleeding. Significant differences betwe en scrotal and maldescended testes were found in all of the volume den sities measured. Interstitial bleeding occurred rarely in scrotal test es, whereas in maldescended testes it was frequently apparent. hCG tre atment induced a significant increase in the volume density of both in terstitial tissue and blood vessels. Even though the hCG treatment ind uced measurable, possibly harmful, changes both in scrotal and maldesc ended testes, our data do not prove that hCG treatment causes permanen t damage to the testis.