Age of treatment of undescended testis--a study

A retrospective study was conducted for a period of 4 years during 1992-1995 at Medical College Hospital, Alappuzha, Kerala to find out whether boys with undescended testis got treated at ideal age. Discharge summaries of boys who were treated for undescended testis in this hospital were studied. There were 139 patients with 162 undescended testes. Mean age of operation was 5 years (range--11 months to 12 years). There were 19.4% patients who were less than 2 years of age. It was found out that 11.1% of total testes were atrophic/vanished. Orchiopexy was done in almost all remaining cases. Majority of boys with undescended testis attended for treatment at a higher age than that recommended. The ideal age of treatment at present and its scientific basis are highlighted.