Pediatric Undescended Testicle

  • Etiology: Testicle does not descend from abdomen to inguinal canal into scrotum
  • Imaging: Look up along path of testicular descent from scrotum up to inguinal canal up to abdomen to underneath kidney
  • DDX: Retractile testicles are common in neonates
  • Complications: Increased incidence of testicular cancer and testicular torsion and inguinal hernia and infertility
  • Treatment: To prevent complications have orchiopexy performed by 1-2 years of age
  • Clinical:
    — Seen in 15-20% of premature newborns, 3% of term newborns, 1% of 1 year olds
    — 10% of cases are bilateral

Radiology Cases of Undescended Testicle

Radiology Cases of Left Undescended Testicle

CT of intraabdominal testicle
Axial (above), coronal (lower left) and sagittal (lower right) CT with contrast of the abdomen shows an oval isodense soft tissue mass located inferior and lateral to the left kidney.

Radiology Cases of Bilateral Undescended Testicles

US of intra-abdominal undescended testicles
Sagittal US of the left lower abdomen (above) shows the left testicle lying on the left psoas muscle just inferior to left kidney. Sagittal US of the right lower abdomen (below) shows the right testicle lying on the right psoas muscle just inferior to the right kidney.