title: Impact of diagnostic laparoscopy in the management of the unilateral impalpable testis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the impact of laparoscopy on the management of children with a unilateral impalpable testis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study population consisted of 27 children who underwent a primary inguinal exploration for a unilateral impalpable testis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twelve of 27 (44%) children had inguinal or 'peeping' testes and 10 of 27 (37%) had blind-ending vasa and vessels in the inguinal canal; four of these 10 had atrophic tubular tissue in the excised remant. Four of 27 (15%) had blind-ending vasa and vessels proximal to the internal ring. Only one child had a testis proximal to the internal ring. Only the four children (15%) with blind-ending vasa and vessels proximal to the internal ring would have benefited from a laparoscopy by avoiding an inguinal exploration.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Because of the time, expense and limited usefulness of laparoscopy in altering the management of children with a unilateral unpalpable testis, we reserve laparoscopy for cases where inguinal exploration has failed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Gulanikar
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schwarz
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Giacomantonio
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003456:Cryptorchidism / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007264:Inguinal Canal / Q000601:surgery; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008297:Male