ASCENT OF THE TESTIS IN CHILDREN

Among 460 children who had an orchiopexy (ORP), we identified 72 child ren who had attended our institution 1-12 years earlier and in whom th e testicular position had been specified. Of the 72 boys 19 were had a scended testes (26%). The ape at ORP of the children with ascent of th e testes was 7.0 years (1.8-14.0 years). Light and electron microscopy of 13 testicular biopsies taken at ORP, showed alterations of germ ce lls and Sertoli cells, similar but less pronounced than alterations se en in congenital undescended testes. Conclusion A normally positioned testis may ascend into the inguinal region or upper scrotum and remain there fixed. This secondary cryptorchidism does not usually respond t o human chorionic gonadotropin treatment and must be corrected by orch iopexy.