Long-term evaluation of testicular growth in children with undescended testes after orchiopexy

Abstract

Introduction: Undescended testis is the most common genital anomaly in children, present in 3% of term births and 30% of preterm infants. Orchidopexy, recommended before 18 months of age, is the standard treatment. However, post-surgical testicular atrophy may affect its function. This study evaluated long-term testicular growth in boys who underwent orchidopexy by ultrasound follow-up. Materials and methods: Descriptive, observational, retrospective study performed at the Dr. Roberto Gilbert Elizalde Children's Hospital, Guayaquil, Ecuador, with patients under 18 years of age treated for congenital undescended testicle between January and December 2019. Those with at least 6 months of postoperative follow-up were included. Testicular volume was measured ultrasonographically before and after surgery; atrophy was defined as <50% growth. Data analysis with SPSS v22. Results: 25 patients (38 testes) were included, with mean age of 3.2 years at the time of surgery. The locations were: 19 low, 17 middle and 2 high. Seventy-six percent of the orchidopexies were performed by pediatric urologists. The inguinal technique was the most used (68.42%). The average testicular volume increased from 0.40 ml to 0.60 ml (p=0.013, CI: 0.35-0.45). The average follow-up was 24.4 months. 92.1% of the testes showed good growth, while 7.9% showed atrophy. Conclusion: Orchidopexy in boys with congenital undescended testis presents favorable long-term results, with adequate growth in most cases and a low incidence of testicular atrophy.