Role of Laparoscopy in Management of Non-palpable Undescended Testis : Assuit University Experience

Cryptorchidism or undescended testis (UDT) is one of the most common genital anomalies in childhood. Its incidence is 3-5 % in full term newborn, and affect more than one third of premature newborn. The incidence decrease to 1 % at age of 3months. About 20% of UDT are impalpable, and about 50% of these impalpable testes are either vanished or atrophic (1-3).

Many diagnostic methods have been used for the evaluation and management of the undescended testis, including imaging studies and multiple surgical procedures.

Surgical management of UDT is performed to preserve testicular function (spermatogenesis) and to prevent the potential complications of undescended testis(1).

Regarding the optimal age of orchiopexy many recent findings suggest that early intervention (6 -12 months of age) is most beneficial. Other findings suggest that there is high rate of spontaneous descent during the first 3 months of life, so observation of undescended testis is advocated till 3 months of age, if the testis remains non-palpable at 3 months of age, it is unlikely to become palpable by waiting another 3 months. Therefore, diagnostic laparoscopy and orchidopexy could be performed from 3 months of age(2).

For intraabdominal cryptorchidism, laparoscopic surgery has been accepted by most surgeons as the preferred technique for diagnosis \& treatment (4).

Laparoscopic findings in non-palpable testis include ; Absent testis either ; Agenesis ( absence of spermatic vessels and vas deferens ) or vanishing testis ( blind ending of spermatic vessels or vas ) , Canalicular testis ; Penetration of vas and spermatic vessels into the internal inguinal ring with or without directly seeing the testis , Abdominal testis Localized between the inferior renal pole and the ipsilateral internal inguinal ring. Can be low (\< 2cm) or high (>2cm) from internal inguinal ring , Peeping ; Primarily in intra-abdominal position. The testis introduces itself into the inguinal canal due to the intra-abdominal pressure augmentation during the laparoscopic procedure.(5)

Several techniques have been described for treatment of intra-abdominal testis including microsurgical auto-transplantation, primary laparoscopic orchiopexy (VILO), one- and two-stage laparoscopic Fowler-Stephens procedures, and staged laparoscopic traction orchiopexy (Shehata technique