Is there anything missing in your son?

One day in the evening a couple came to me with their son who was ten days old. They came for a routine checkup. The baby was born at full term by caesarean section and it was an uneventful birth. Apparently there was no problem detected. After a thorough clinical examination, it was revealed that the testes on the left side was found missing. So obviously my diagnosis was undescended testes on the left side. Knowing the fact, the parents became very concern and anxious. After performing an ultrasonography the missing testes was located in the inguinal canal. Expectantly it might descend within a month or so. The parents of the child were counseled and were advised to come back after a few months.

Testicles or testes are male sex glands that produce sperm and sex hormones. Usually both testicles are located in the scrotum. Undescended testes mean that one or both testicles are missing from the scrotum and are lodged instead in the groin or inside the lower abdomen. Other terms for undescended testicles include empty scrotum, monorchism and cryptorchidism. Undescended testicles should not be confused with retractile or retractable testicles.

About five percent of all boys are born with this condition. Premature and low birth weight babies are at increased risk. Associated problems are poor self image, hernia, trauma, infertility, decrease in androgenic hormones and some may develop malignancy.

We can wait for six months to a year, hoping that it will come down to the scrotum. If it does not occur naturally, surgical intervention is necessary and preferable. Injecting hormone to facilitate the testes to come down is an option but not ideal rather controversial. Having a child without any defect is the best gift from the Almighty.

The author works at Community Based Medical College, Mymensingh. E-mail: mmukkhan@gmail.com