Congenital testicular maldescent: significance of the complete hernial sac.

OBJECTIVE

To test the hypothesis that testicular maldescent is rarely congenital in the absence of a complete hernial sac.

PATIENTS AND

METHODS

The study comprised 110 boys undergoing orchidopexy. Operative findings (complete hernial sac versus no hernial sac) were compared with recorded testicular descent at birth.

RESULTS

Among 70 testes recorded as maldescended neonatally there was no example without a complete hernial sac at orchidopexy. Among 60 recorded as descended neonatally, 43 had no sac at orchidopexy.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings are consistent with the hypothesis, though not with the proposition, that the presence of a complete hernial sac at orchidopexy constitutes proof of congenital testicular maldescent.