[Laparoscopic management for nonpalpable testis].

In this series, we investigated the efficacy and advantage of laparoscopy for management of nonpalpable testis. Laparoscopic examination was performed in 10 boys, involving one with bilateral nonpalpable testis and 9 with a unilateral nonpalpable testis and a contralateral normal one, between August 1991 and September 1993 in our institution. Three testis were diagnosed as intraabdominal and 8 testis were diagnosed as probably intracanalicular with laparoscopy. Two boys with 3 intracanalicular testis underwent laparoscopic clipping of testicular vessels, and about 6 months later, they underwent the second stage of 2-stage Fowler-Stephens orchiopexy. Eight boys, diagnosed as probably intracanalicular type by laparoscopy, underwent surgical exploration with inguinal incision. Of 8 patients, only 1 boy underwent 1-stage orchiopexy, and the other 7 boys underwent orchiectomy because their gonads were extremely hypoplastic. About 1 year after orchiopexy, 3 testes were normal in both size and location. Laparoscopy seems to be useful for both evaluation and treatment of the nonpalpable testis.