Study of patients operated upon for undescended testis in Emam Reza hospital, Birjand, Iran from 1994 to 2001

Cryptorchidism or undescended testis is one of the most common congenital abnormalities in boys, and the majority of cases have no discernible etiology. There are unexplained geographical differences and temporal trends in its epidemiologic studies. There are limited studies regarding the epidemiology of this disease in Iran. The present study was carried out to evaluate cryptorchids operated in Birjand. In order to study the disease in Birjand, medical records of patients that had been treated for cryptorchidism between 1994 and 2001 in Emam Reza hospital affiliated to Birjand University of Medical Sciences were reviewed. Data was gathered through a questionnaire filled out by the researchers themselves. The obtained data was analysed by means of SPSS software and statistical tests. One hundred and forty-six patients were operated during this period. Minimum, maxim, and mean age were 7 months, 34 months, and 10±1.2 years, respectively. Localization was right, left, and bilateral in 52.7%, 33.6% and 12.3% respectively. For 14% of the cases, there was no record in the respective files. Out of 81 cases whose familial history had been recorded 10% (8 cases) had positive family history of cryptorchidism and 73 cases (90%) had no familial history. In 94.5% of the cases the testis was found during the exploration of the same side and 2.7% of the cases no testes were found. In 2.7%, which had bilateral undescended condition, one testis was not found but the other was. Totally, in 5.4% no testes were found during exploration. Location of the testis was in inguinal canal and abdominal cavity in 61.7% and 36.3% of the patients, respectively. Most (91.8%) of them had undergone orchiopexy and 8.2% had had orchiectomy operation. There was no malignancy in those who had undergone testis biopsy (7 cases). Regarding the findings of the study, it seems that for proper diagnosis and treatment of this very common congenital disorder there should be an instructional program for midwives, nurses and physicians pertaining to mandatory record of scrotal examination in the medical record of the all newborn and parents should be advised to treat their affected boys at age of 1 to 2 years.