Undescended Testicle (Cryptorchidism)
This is the most common congenital disease of the male genital tract in childhood. Early in the womb, the testes are at the same level as the kidneys in the abdomen. As the baby continues to develop in the womb, the testicles descend down to the scrotum. The descent of the testicles continues in the first 6 months after birth. If there is a pause during descent of the testicles for any mechanical, hormonal or internal reason, undescended testicles occur. When the testicle is undescended, one or both testicles are not in the scrotum. Since the testes continue to descend after birth, at the age of 1 year, the proportion of undescended testes decreases to 0.8%. It is expected that a true undescended testicle will not be detected in the scrotum 6 months after birth. . 70% of undescended testes are unilateral. In 30% of cases, both testicles are not in the scrotum (bilateral undescended testicle). Unilateral undescended testis is 60% on the right side, 30% on the left, 10% on a bilateral case. In an undescended testis, after 1 year, the testis structure begins to deteriorate. The structure of the cells responsible for the production and maturation of sperm begins to deteriorate. This is a progressive process, as a result of which the physical structure of the testicle deteriorates over the years, and the undescended testicle becomes smaller and softer than normal. The temperature in the abdominal cavity is 2-2.5 degrees higher than the temperature in the scrotum. The high temperature leads to a decrease in testicular volume and a decrease in the number of cells. Therefore, the testicle must be lowered into the scrotum to protect the undescended testis from high temperatures and prevent changes in it. In addition, circulatory disorders during testicular torsion and inflammation (orchitis) in undescended testicles more often occur in such cases, an early diagnosis and treatment is carried out. In addition, in men, an empty scrotum creates psychological stress.