title: Incidence of testicular ascent in boys with retractile testes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The incidence of testicular ascent of a previously descended but retractile testis is reported to be between 2% and 45%. It has been our bias that only a small percent of retractile testes ascend and ultimately require orchiopexy.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a retrospective review of all retractile testes diagnosed by any of 4 pediatric urologists at our institution from 1996 to 2005. A retractile testis was defined as one that could be brought to at least the mid scrotum without tension despite a history of maldescent or a retractile nature. Patients were excluded if followup was less than 6 months or they had a history of ipsilateral inguinal surgery. A followup telephone survey was done in patients not reexamined at resolution.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 172 patients met our inclusion criteria and were followed to resolution. A total of 274 retractile testes were initially identified, including 26% unilateral and 74% bilateral testes. A total of 19 testes ascended and ultimately required orchiopexy within a followup of 6 to 101 months. A patent processus vaginalis was identified in 13 cases (68%). Another 235 patients initially seen with a diagnosis of retractile testis who had no followup examination at our institution were contacted via telephone. This set of boys initially had a total of 392 involved testes, of which 2 underwent orchiopexy elsewhere before resolution. The incidence of secondary ascent was 3.2% in the combined set of patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Retractile testes can ascend and, therefore, they require followup until resolution. In our experience most retractile testes do not require surgery.
authors: Division of Pediatric Urology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232-9820, USA.
authors: Andrew A
authors: AA
authors: Stec
authors: John C
authors: JC
authors: Thomas
authors: Romano T
authors: RT
authors: DeMarco
authors: John C
authors: JC
authors: Pope
authors: John W
authors: JW
authors: Brock
authors: Mark C
authors: MC
authors: Adams
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003456:Cryptorchidism / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013737:Testis / Q000503:physiopathology*