An 8 month old male is brought to you for a second opinion. The child was found to have only one teste palpable at birth and it still is not present in the scrotum. The infant is otherwise doing well.
Cryptorchidism is defined as the absence of one or both testes in the scrotum after one year of age.
The incidence is increased in preterm males because the normal descent of the testis into the scrotum doesn't occur before 7 months of gestation. The right side has a higher incidence than the left. There is an association with other congenital anomalies and chromosomal defects. There is an increased incidence if other family members have had undescended testes. Seminomas are the most common cancers and early repair may be associated with a decreased incidence of malignancy.