title: Diagnostic laparoscopy and management of the impalpable testis--a review of 10 years' practice at a non-paediatric specialist centre.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Laparoscopy is used for the diagnosis and treatment of impalpable testes. We reviewed practice and outcomes in our unit over the last 10 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective case-note review of patients undergoing laparoscopy with or without orchidopexy for impalpable testes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighty-three patients underwent laparoscopy. Twelve patients had bilateral impalpable testes; 25.3% of testes were identified intra-abdominally, 21% in the internal ring, and 29.5% of cases had vas and vessels entering the deep ring. A 76.5% success rate was achieved following diagnostic laparoscopy and standard open orchidopexy for testes in the region of the internal ring, compared to a 40.0% success rate following one-stage laparoscopic orchidopexy for 'low' intra-abdominal testes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Laparoscopy is useful in managing patients with an impalpable testis from both a diagnostic and therapeutic standpoint. The success rate following laparoscopic orchidopexy in our non-paediatric specialist centre is lower than in most reports from paediatric specialist centres. This suggests the importance of centralization of such complicated, less frequently performed surgical procedures to a specialist centre.
authors.affiliation: General Surgical Department, University Hospital of North Staffordshire, City General Hospital, Stoke-On-Trent, UK. acwee@doctors.org.uk
authors.forename: Chin Wee
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Ang
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Forrest
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003456:Cryptorchidism / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome