Congenital absence of the testis in human fetuses and in cryptorchid patients.
BACKGROUND
The aim of the present study is to make a comparative study in human fetuses and in patients with cryptorchidism, analyzing the incidence of a number anomalies of the testes for both populations.


METHODS
We studied 326 testes from 163 human fetuses ranging in age from 10 to 35 weeks postconception (WPC) and 133 testes from 101 cryptorchid patients aged from 1 to 15 years old (mean, 6.4 years). The Fisher's exact test was used for comparison.


RESULTS
Among 326 fetal testes, 224 (68.7%) were abdominal, 45 (13.8%) were inguinal and 55 (16.8%) were scrotal. In one fetus at 23 WPC, both testes (0.6%) were absent. Of the 133 cryptorchid testes, 17 (12.78%) were abdominal, 92 (69.1%) were inguinal and 24 (18%) were high scrotal. Of the 17 abdominal testes, three (17.6%) were atrophic and two were vanished (11.7%). Of the 92 inguinal testes, one (1.08%) was vanished. Twenty-eight (21%) of the cryptorchid testes were impalpable and among these, 17 were located in the abdomen (60.7%) and 11 (38.2%) in the inguinal region (internal ring).


CONCLUSIONS
Testicular agenesis is a very rare anomaly, both in fetuses and patients with cryptorchidism.
Favorito
Luciano A
LA
Urogenital Research Unit, State University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Avenue. 28 de Setembro, 87, fundos, FCM, térreo, 20551-030, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. favorito@uerj.br
Klojda
Carlos Ab
CA
Sampaio
Francisco Jb
FJ
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003456:Cryptorchidism / Q000150:complications / Q000196:embryology / Q000473:pathology*; D005333:Fetus; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007264:Inguinal Canal / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D012611:Scrotum / Q000473:pathology; D013737:Testis / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000196:embryology