LHRH treatment in unilateral cryptorchidism: effect on testicular descent and hormonal response

Fifty unilaterally cryptorchid boys aged 3 to 8 years were randomly and blindly allocated to treatment with luteinizing hormone releasing hormone or placebo intranasally. In the treated group, no significant descent of the undescended testis was found, whereas a minor downward movement of the scrotal testis occurred (P less than 0.001), probably as a result of decreased retraction by the cremaster muscle. Basal serum testosterone concentrations and testicular volume increased after treatment (P less than 0.01 and P less than 0.001, respectively). The response to an acute LHRH test, 100 micrograms/m2 body surface IV, before and after treatment, showed an increase in the luteinizing hormone peak value and a decrease in the follicle-stimulating hormone response in a significant number of patients (P less than 0.001). In the individual patient, there was a positive correlation between the increase in basal serum testosterone concentration and the degree of downward movement of the undescended testis (P less than 0.05).