What does cryptorchidism mean
Release time : 06/08/2025 09:30:01
Eunuchia is a common problem for children. We all know that the testicles are the place where sperm is produced, and the absence of testicles can seriously affect male fertility.
Adult males are generally quite aware of the condition of undescended testes, which can lead to great concern among parents when they discover that their newborn baby boy does not possess a testicle.
What does cryptorchidism mean? What effects does it have on a child? In daily life, some parents notice that one side of their child's testicle cannot be felt. Sometimes, they can feel it, but at other times, they cannot. What is the situation here? Frantic parents often consider this a serious issue and immediately take their child to see a doctor upon discovering such symptoms.
It is likely that the condition your child has is in fact cryptorchidism.
What is cryptorchidism? Normally, a male baby has two testicles, which we refer to as the testes. If there are developmental issues, one testicle may be present, and in some cases, both testicles may be missing.
Anywhere in the scrotum where the testicles cannot be palpated is diagnosed as an undescended testis.
Eunuchia includes two kinds of conditions. The first is true undescended testis, the second is ectopic testis which does not grow in a normal position.
Generally speaking, undescended testes are often due to the testicles not following the usual path of development during growth and not moving to their normal location at the base of the scrotum as they should.
In full-term male infants, the incidence of cryptorchidism is 3%, and decreases to 1% by the age of one year. In adulthood, it tends to stabilize.
Congenital cryptorchidism can affect preterm infants, children with developmental delays, newborns who have had premature labor and contractions, or those who have had a history of threatened miscarriage or fever.
What impacts can a hidden testicle have on a child? The correct position for the male testicle is in the scrotum. The scrotal area typically maintains temperatures 1.5 to 2 degrees lower than normal body temperature due to the scrotal shivering mechanism, which allows the testicle to produce sperm normally.
If an undescended testis is present, it cannot be influenced by temperature in the scrotum and cannot function properly for spermatogenesis. This can result in a decreased male fertility rate.
Cryptorchidism occurring in early childhood may also be malignant.
The incidence of male germ cell tumors in cryptorchidism is significantly higher than that in normal men. The higher the position of the testis, the greater the possibility of malignant transformation.
About 50% of the abdominal and testicle will undergo malignant transformation.
If a child under one year old develops cryptorchidism, it is more likely that he will return to the scrotum in the future. However, if he is more than one year old and still does not return to the scrotum, parents should take the child to the hospital for treatment.
Surgical treatment should be performed as soon as possible after drug treatment fails. Surgery for cryptorchidism is the best time before the age of two.
Can unilateral cryptorchidism be fertile? Cryptorchidism in children is very easy to detect. Parents can detect this phenomenon early by touching and observing with the naked eye.
After discovering this problem, parents should take their children to medical treatment early, confirm the diagnosis and treatment plan, and confirm the appropriate surgical treatment time, otherwise it will affect the child's fertility problems in adulthood.
Some parents asked me that my baby belongs to unilateral cryptorchidism. Will this also affect fertility? There is a 30% chance that unilateral cryptorchidism will affect the child's future fertility problems.
Some children, when they grow up, have normal testicular function on one side. They can produce sperm normally and there is no serious impact on their fertility.
Although there is only one cryptorchidism and the testicle on the other side is normal in shape, in this case, parents should still take their children to the hospital for early examination and follow the doctor's advice for early treatment.
Cryptorchidism is a treatable disease, but treating cryptorchidism is not simply about returning the testicles to the scrotum. The most important thing is to restore the normal organization and function of the testicles. Therefore, it is very important for parents to detect their child's cryptorchidism problem early and carry out early treatment.
If the condition is not treated until adulthood, it may worsen and increase the risk of malignancy. Therefore, surgical removal is necessary, which may result in the loss of fertility.
How to treat cryptorchidism? In adult men, having cryptorchidism can leave a deep shadow in the heart.
They dare not take a bath in public baths with their companions, or even dare not fall in love and get married. Their serious inferiority complex brings harm to their souls.
Upon discovering an undescended testis, active treatment should be administered. What are the treatments for undescended testes? 1. Hormonal therapy.
Hormonal therapy requires pre-treatment testing of the patient's testosterone and luteinizing hormone levels. If these indicators are low, and the levels rise after using hormones, it suggests that the testes interstitial cells have a sensitive reaction to hormones. This is generally considered a positive sign, indicating that the testes are likely to decrease in size through this treatment.
If the patient is not sensitive to the use of steroids, it is imperative to proceed with surgical treatment as soon as possible to avoid delaying their life.
2. Surgical Treatment.
Children over six months old and younger than two years old can undergo surgery.
Surgical treatment is carried out early, but this year, the development of cells will tend to normal, the number of spermatogonial cells will increase, and the child's spermatogenic function can be basically maintained at a normal level after puberty.
If the best opportunity for surgery is missed, 62% of patients undergoing surgery during adolescence will still have fertility preserved. If surgery is not performed at all, the patient's fertility will be only 46%.
Post-operative recovery for cryptorchidism surgery typically takes several months. Some reproductive diseases actually have their roots in infancy, with cryptorchidism being one such condition.
In the vast majority of cases, cryptorchidism requires surgical treatment to achieve a cure. Many children who delay treatment end up bearing the heavy burden of an incurable condition for life.
Many parents are very concerned about the recovery of their children after surgery. They don't know how long it takes for the testes to recover after orchiopexy. Orchiopexy involves fixing the testes in place; otherwise, they might revert to their original abnormal position. Generally speaking, it takes around one month to fully recover from the surgery.
To help the child recover better, parents should allow the child to rest for a while.
After the operation, it takes another three months for the child's body to recover completely, and he will not need to worry about any movements or diets that could harm him.
After scrotal hypospadias surgery, the child should reduce physical activity to avoid adverse emotions. Attention should be paid to nursing care of the wound to prevent foreign bodies from causing excessive friction on the wound.
Children tend to be restless and often refuse to stay in bed quietly after surgery. At this point, it is necessary for parents to put in more effort to prevent children from getting up too soon.
This section of the text concerning medical aspects is for reference only.
Should there be any discomfort, it is advised to seek medical attention immediately. The diagnosis and treatment should be conducted based on the professional examinations conducted in person.