Treatment of cryptorchidism with human chorionic gonadotropin or gonadotropin releasing hormone. A double-blind controlled study of 243 boys.
We have conducted a modified double-blind study on the effect of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) and placebo on bilateral and unilateral maldescended testes. One hundred and fifty-five boys with bilateral and 88 boys with unilateral cryptorchidism fulfilled the inclusion criteria and completed the treatment protocol. The boys were between 1 and 13 years of age. hCG was administered as intramuscular injections twice weekly for 3 weeks. GnRH and placebo were given intranasally. hCG was superior to GnRH and placebo in the treatment of bilateral maldescended testes (p = 0.0009). Both testes descended in 25% of the boys following treatment with hCG, and improvement in the position of the testes was obtained in a further 25% of the cases. hCG administration resulted in complete testicular descent in 14% of boys with unilateral cryptorchidism compared with 3 and 0% after placebo and GnRH, respectively (p = 0.07). The testis had moved to a more distal position in 46% of the boys treated with hCG. There was no significant difference between the treatment groups with regard to age or initial position of the testes. We conclude that a success rate of 25% justifies the use of hCG in the treatment of maldescended testes, whereas the study did not support a general use of GnRH administered intranasally.
Christiansen
P
P
University Department of Pediatrics, Hvidovre Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Müller
J
J
Buhl
S
S
Hansen
O R
OR
Hobolth
N
N
Jacobsen
B B
BB
Jørgensen
P H
PH
Kastrup
K W
KW
Nielsen
K
K
Nielsen
L B
LB
D000281:Administration, Intranasal; D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003456:Cryptorchidism / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular; D008297:Male; D010906:Pituitary Hormone-Releasing Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010919:Placebos; D013737:Testis / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D013997:Time Factors
D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D010906:Pituitary Hormone-Releasing Hormones; D010919:Placebos