[Hormonal treatment of cryptorchism: indications and limitations]

Cryptorchidism is the most frequent anomaly of male genitalia. The major concerns of cryptorchidism are on psychological problems in childhood and infertility and increased cancer risk in adulthood. Medical treatment with various hormones has been used in the last 70 years to induce testicular descent, but some discrepancy exists in the various reports. In this paper, the efficacy on testicular descent, the effect on adult fertility and the inferences on risk of malignancy of the various hormonal strategies are reviewed and briefly discussed. From the literature data, a practical approach to the hormonal treatment of cryptorchism is suggested.