Word parts
What it means
Before birth, the testes form inside the abdomen and normally move down into the scrotum by birth or within the first few months. In cryptorchidism, one or both stay up in the abdomen or groin. It is more common in preterm boys. If they do not come down on their own, surgery (orchiopexy) brings them into the scrotum, usually in the first year or two of life, to protect fertility and lower the risk of testicular cancer.
For the nurse
Check that both testes can be felt in the scrotum at newborn and well-baby exams. Teach families that boys with a history of cryptorchidism should learn testicular self-examination as teenagers.
At a glance
| Spanish | criptorquidia |
|---|---|
| Also written | undescended testis, undescended testicle, undescended testes, undescended testicles |