True cryptorchidism and retractile testes in infertile men

The present study entails clinical evaluation of 77 infertile men with testicular descent disturbances. The results summarize as follows: The incidence of disturbance in testicular descent among infertile men was 15.5%, 15.5% and 4.9% in azoo-, oligozoo- (less than or equal to 10 mill/ml) and normozoo- (greater than 10 mill/ml) spermia, respectively. Out of the 77 men investigated, 50 had a history of true cryptorchidism and 27 retractile testes. 31 of the patients with cryptorchidism had previously been subjected to orchidopexy. In the group of infertile men with a history of retractile testes, 20 subjects still retained palpable pathological changes of the testes. Testicular biopsies (from men with retractile testes and sperm count below 10 mill/ml) demonstrated hypospermatogenesis (germ cell arrest to aplasia). 6) 53% of the subjects exhibited elevated serum FSH. Two men had developed testis tumours (seminoma/teratoma). It is advocated that early hormonal therapy and/or surgical procedures should be initiated in an attempt to improve the chances of future fertility both in cryptorchidism and retractile testes.