Undescended Testis In Children
Posted by on Monday, 17th July 2023
What is an Undescended Testis?An undescended testis is a defect that happens before birth when a testicle has still not moved to its correct position, which is the scrotum or the bag of skin hanging below the penis.
This condition usually affects one testicle, but, in a few cases, the condition may effect both testicles, thereby keeping them undescended.
An undescended testis is commonly seen in premature male child.
In most cases, Undescended testis gets rectified on its own, as the undescended testis moves to its appropriate position within the first few months of life.
However, if this condition is not corrected on its own till 6 months of age, then a surgery is required to move the testicle in to its correct position.
What are the signs or symptoms of an Undescended Testicle
If you cannot see or feel a testicle in the baby’s scrotum, then this may be due to an undescended testicle.
When the foetus is still developing, testicles are formed inside the abdomen.
In normal development of the foetus, the testicles descend from the abdomen, into the scrotum, through the tube-like passage, into the groin (inguinal canal).
The above process, happens in the last couple of months of normal foetal development. When this process is halted or delayed, it leads to the condition called Cryptochordism or Undescended Testicle.