title: Role of laparoscopy and ultrasound in the management of "impalpable testis" in children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Undescended testes is one of the most common congenital abnormalities in boys. In cases of impalpable testes, ultrasound is often used to find the testis, which frequently provides false-negative results. Recently, laparoscopy has become popular in the management of impalpable testes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective study of all children with impalpable testes presenting for laparoscopy between August 2007 and July 2011 who had undergone ultrasound examinations without localizing the testes was conducted and the role of laparoscopy in diagnosing impalpable testes was evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-three patients presented with impalpable testes for laparoscopy. All patients underwent ultrasound examinations in which the testes could not be identified. Of the 23 patients, Five patients were found to have palpable testes in the superficial inguinal pouch under anesthesia and proceeded to conventional open exploration during which the testes were brought into the scrotum. Eighteen patients were found to have impalpable testes in an evaluation under anesthesia (EUA) and proceeded to laparoscopy. Twelve patients were found to have intra-abdominal testes and underwent laparoscopic-assisted orchidopexy. Three patients underwent a two-stage Fowler-Stephens procedure, and two patients with "vanishing" testes with the vas and atrophic vessels entering a closed internal ring proceeded to open exploration and orchidectomy for atrophic testes. In addition, a teenager with atrophic testes underwent laparoscopic orchidectomy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Laparoscopy is superior to ultrasound in the management of impalpable testes when high-resolution ultrasound is not available during the diagnostic process, with respect to both the sensitivity of localizing the testis and being more time and cost effective.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Indonesia, Indonesia; Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Hospital, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Department of Pediatric Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Iskandar Rahardjo
authors.initials: IR
authors.lastname: Budianto
authors.affiliation: Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Hospital, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Prince Court Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Hock Lim
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan. Electronic address: kinoppy@pedsurg.med.kyushu-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Yoshiaki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kinoshita
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Indonesia, Indonesia; Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Hospital, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Riana Pauline
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Tamba
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Leiri
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomoaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Taguchi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003456:Cryptorchidism / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery*; D006061:Gonadal Dysgenesis, 46,XY / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008297:Male; D009919:Orchiectomy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012611:Scrotum; D013737:Testis / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D014463:Ultrasonography
keywords: impalpable testis; laparoscopy; ultrasound; undescended testis