Clinical Observation on Undescended Testis: A Comparison Study of Palpable and Impalpable Undescended Testis

Kim, Kun Do; Chung, Young Won

Abstract

The clinician is posed a serious clinical dilemma when confronted with absence of testis during surgical management of impalpable testis. Herein we performed a comparative clinical study of palpable and impalpable undescended testis in 135 patients, 150 undescended testes during the period from January, 1979 to June, 1984. The results were as follows: 1. Among the 150 undescended testes, 47 cases(31.3%), were impalpable undescended testes on physical examination. 2. In 135 patients of undescended testis, number of patients below 2 year-old(considered as optimal age of orchiopexy) were 15(11.1%) patients and below 10 year-old were 75(55.6%) patients. There was no marked difference of age distribution in patients of palpable and impalpable undescended testis. 3. Associated anomalies were found in 16 (11.9%) patients of total 135 patients, and twice more commonly found in the patients of impalpable undescended testis than palpable undescended testis. 4. As surgical location of undescended testis, abdominal type and absence of testis were more common in impalpable undescended testis (10.6% and 8.7% of cases) than palpable undescended testis (1% and 0% of cases).