Dr. Aruna Ashok MBBS, MS OG, DNB OG
- Clinical Director
We can go directly to answering, “How serious is an undescended testicle?”. But it wouldn’t matter if you first don’t know what it is or if you have it right.
What is undescended testicle? The medical definition of an undescended testicle – a testicle that hasn’t moved into its proper position in the bag of skin hanging below the penis (scrotum) at birth.
One can’t feel or see the testicle in scrotum
The scrotum looks flat when both the testicles are undescended. How to check for undescended testicle? Physical examination by a physician diagnosis undescended testicle.
An undescended testicle is uncommon in general but among baby boys 3% of preterm and 1% of full-time babies have it. Usually just one testicle is affected, but about 10 percent of the time both testicles are undescended.
Usually, it settles on its own. Yes, the undescended testicle moves into the proper position on its own, during the initial months. However, this isn’t the situation all the time and when it is not, it is time for a consultation. The normal time period for the testicle to move into the scrotum is 4 months. If it hadn’t moved, then it probably wouldn’t move until it is made to move i.e., it’s time for surgery.
An undescended testicle is detected shortly after the time of birth when your baby is examined. The earlier the treatment, the better the future. Treating this while your son is aged 6-12 months, lowers complications in the future, reduces chances of Infertility and testicular cancer.
Torsion or Twisting
Tumour
Infertility