Cryptorchidism: Prevalence at Birth and Testicular Post-Natal Descent

Abstract

This works gives the results of an epidemiological survey on the frequency of cryptorchidism carried out from 1988–1994 in the Hospital of Cittadella (Padua) on 3185 newborn. These babies were examined again by the same operator at 3-6-12 months. Standard criteria were used in defining cryptorchidism. Fifty-seven newborn (1.79%) were cryptorchid. The rate was much higher at birth for hypodystrophic and pre-term infants. The frequency descended to 1.17% and 1.15% respectively at 6 and 12 months, when the difference between the frequency of cryptorchidism in pre-term and underweight infants was no longer statistically significant compared to eutrophic and full-term babies. In conclusion, it may be confirmed that the incidence of this malformation is around 1% at one year old, as reported in literature. The spontaneous complete descent of the cryptorchid testis occurred before the 3rd-6th month and the descents recorded after that date are not significant.