ABSTRACT
Testes should be within the scrotum at birth but spontaneous descent by 3 months to a year is more likely in babies with low birth weights or pre-term infants. After the first year of life, true testicular maldescent occurs in about 0.7% of boys. A recent study suggests that the number of boys with cryptorchidism (hidden testes) may be increasing and siblings of boys with undescended testes are at increased risk for cryptorchidism, with a reported incidence of up to 10%. Retractile testicles are rare before the age of 2 weeks but distinguishing retractile testicles from those truly undescended is important, as goals of treatment of undescended testicles include:
1. Enhancement of fertility. 2. Treatment of associated hernias. 3. Improvement of aesthetics.
