Ultrastructural Evidence of the Onset of Testicular Pathological Conditions in the Cryptorchid Human Testis within the First Year of Life

Abstract

Pathological fibrosis of testicular intertubular tissues may be evident in the cryptorchid testis of children 1 year old. A characteristic feature of such testes is massive collagen deposition, which disrupts the regular order of the interstitium, in particular the peritubular layer of cells, by the time the child is 4 years old. These conclusions are based on ultrastructural examination of testicular biopsies collected at orchiopexy from 13 boys with cryptorchidism between 1 and 13 years old. These findings persuade us that orchiopexy should be performed in children about 1 year old and, certainly, no later than 2 years. Otherwise, eventual normal testicular function is highly unlikely.