Paediatric Endo Flashcards
What is cryptorchidism?
Udescended testes
What percentage of undescended testes are bilateral?
30%
RF for undescended testes?
Family history, low birth weight, preterm delivery, disorders of sexual development, maternal smoking, previous inguinal hernia surgery
What are true undescended testes?
Testes that lie along the normal path of development- in the abdomen or in the inguinal canal
What are ascending testes?
Testes that were previously in the scrotum but have moved into a higher position - may be due to a persisting processes vaginalis
When are infants screened for undescended testes
Within 72 hours of birth and then at 6-8 weeks
List some complications of undescended testes
Infertility
Testicular cancer
Torsion
At what ages should infants be referred to urology for undescended testes?
Around 3 months (surgery should happen before 6 months
Differentials of undescended testes?
Retractile testes
Absent testes (intersex conditions)
What surgery is performed for undescended testes?
Orchidopexy
What is testicular torsion?
Twisting of the spermatic cord leading to testicular ischaemia and necrosis
What deformity increases the likelihood of testicular torsion
The bell clapper deformity
How does testicular torsion present?
Severe sudden onset pain
Nausea and vomiting
Testicular swelling and erythema
Testes are retracted upwards
Loss of cremasteric reflex
Absent Prehn’s sign
What is prehn’s sign
Where elevation of the testes relieves pain - present in epididymitis by not torsion
Differentials of testicular torsion
Trauma, epididymitis, testicular torsion, hydrocele
What are the two types of testicular torsion
Extravaginal and intravaginal
How is testicular torsion investigated
Surgical exploration- no imaging
Treatment of testicular torsion
Detorsion and fixation (fix both testes as bell clapper is often bilateral)
Define precocious puberty
The development of secondary sexual characteristics before 8 years in females and before 9 years in males.
What is thelarche
The first stage of breast development
What is adrenarche
The first stage of pubic hair development
Who is precocious puberty more common in ?
Girls
More common in Afro-carribbean
How can precocious puberty be classified
Gonadotrophin dependent (true) and gonadotrophin independent (pseudo)
Explain gonadotrophin dependent precocious puberty
Occurs due to premature activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis- leads to raised FSH and LH
List some causes of gonadotrophin dependent precocious puberty
Idiopathic
Brain neoplasms
Post traumatic brain injury
Cranial radiotherapy
Explain gonadotrophin independent precocious puberty
Occurs due to an excess of sex hormones (oestrogen and testosterone). The FSH and LH will be low.
List some causes of gonadotrophin independent precocious puberty
Ovarian causes- follicular cysts, granulosa cell tumours, leydig cell tumours
Testicular causes- leydig cell tumours
Adrenal causes (21-hydroxylase deficiency in congenital adrenal hyperplasia)
McCune- Albright syndrome
Exposure to exogenous hormones (e.g contraceptive pill, testosterone gel)
If precocious puberty presents with bilateral testicular enlargement, what is the likely cause
Gonadotrophin release from an intracranial lesion (true precocious puberty)