The maldescended testis: standard therapy and prospects for cryptocchidism

Up to 2.7% of male neonates are affected by cryptocchidism. Well-establishe d hormonal and surgical treatments are available. Medicinal therapy with hC G is successful in 14-50% of cases of palpable, incompletely descended test es. GnRH analogs are the treatment of choice and are successful in up to 70 % of cases. Operative correction of the palpable testis has a success rate of over 90%. Orthotopic scrotal placement can be achieved in only around 70 % of nonpalpable (intraabdominal) testes. Surgical correction of intraabdom inal testes, whether by autotransplantation or the Fowler-Stephens techniqu e, is associated with ischemia and reperfusion,which influence testicular f unction. Precise recording of the effects of ischemia and reperfusion on th e testis could help in the selection of optimal therapy for individual pati ents with cryptocchidism.