Medical Health Encyclopedia

Undescended testicle

Bringing the testicle into the scrotum maximizes sperm production and increases the odds of good fertility. It also allows examination for early detection of testicular cancer.

In other cases, such as vanished testis, no testicle may be found upon surgical exploration. This may be due to in utero vascular insult (testicular torsion), resulting in an infarction (death of affected tissue).

Alternatively, this may be associated with congenital anomaly, in which case blind-ending blood vessels are seen in the vas deferens (the tube which normally carries sperm).

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org). The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. Copyright 2004 A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Text Continues Below