A 9-month-old boy has a unilateral palpable undescended testis in the superficial inguinal pouch. What is the recommended management at this age?

• A Inguinal orchidopexy now ✓
• B Reassure and review at 2 years, as descent may still occur
• C Hormonal therapy with hCG as first-line treatment
• D Orchidectomy of the undescended testis

Explanation

Spontaneous descent is unlikely after 6 months of postnatal age, so current practice is to perform orchidopexy between 6 and 12 months, certainly within the first year or two. Early fixation improves fertility potential and allows easier examination, though it does not abolish the increased malignancy risk, which persists even after orchidopexy. hCG therapy produces only temporary descent in a small minority and is not first-line. Orchidectomy is reserved for a dysgenetic non-viable gonad.

Reference: Bailey and Love's Short Practice of Surgery, 28th ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.