title: Anatomical findings at orchiopexy.
abstract: The anatomical findings at orchidopexy for cryptorchid testis were recorded for 60 boys aged between 6 months and 18 years. In 11 patients (18.3%) bilateral cryptorchidism was present. At operation, atrophied testicular tissue was found in two patients and one testis was found to be absent; 69.1% (47/68) of the remaining testes were found in the superficial inguinal pouch at operation, 27.9% (19/68) were in the inguinal canal, one was in the femoral triangle and one was high in the scrotum. In 35 testes (51.5%) there was an associated hernial sac. In 54 testes (79.4%) the gubernaculum testis was attached to an anatomical site other than the lower scrotum. In 26 (38.2%) there was a fascial block to descent into the scrotum and one or other of these findings was present in 64 testes (94.1%). These findings suggest that failure to establish a patent route from the superficial inguinal region to the scrotum and the passage of the gubernaculum along this route are the abnormalities responsible for failure of testicular descent.
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003456:Cryptorchidism / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D013737:Testis / Q000002:abnormalities*