Urology: Undescended Testes, Hydrocele, Hypospadias, Torsion, Epididymitis & Orchitis Flashcards
What is cryptorchidism?
Failure of testicular descent into the scrotum.
This is a surgical condition that can broadly be defined in 3 groups:
1) True undescended testis
2) Ectopic testis
3) Ascending testis
What is a true undescended testis?
Where testis is absent from the scrotum but lies along the line of testicular descent
What is an ectopic testis?
Where the testis is found away from the normal path of decent
What is an ascending testis?
Where a testis previously identified in the scrotum undergoes a secondary ascent out of the scrotum.
How do the testes normally descend?
Under normal embryological development the testis descends from the abdomen to the scrotum, pulled by the gubernaculum, within the processes vaginalis.
They have normally reached the scrotum prior to birth.
What % of cases of cryptochidism are bilateral?
25%
What are some complications of undescended testis?
1) infertility
2) testicular torsion
3) testicular cancer
4) psychological
How do undescended testis affect fertility?
As testis are 2-3⁰ C warmer if intra-abdominal, this can effect spermatogenesis.
Although fertility in unilateral undescended testis is around 90%, this has been reported to drop to around 53% if bilateral.
Risk of infertility increases with delayed correction.
How does undescended testis affect testicular cancer risk?
2-3 times more common with a history of undescended testis (2-3%).
This risk double if correction is undertaken after puberty.
Orchidopexy also allows for self-examination for testicular abnormalities by the patient when they are older.
Risk factors for cryptochidism?
- prematurity
- low birth weight
- having other abnormalities of genitalia (i.e. hypospadias)
- having a first degree relative with cryptorchidism
- maternal smoking during pregnancy
With unilateral undescended testis, what is the management?
1) Watch and wait to see if they descend on their own by 6 months
2) Consider referral from around 3 months of age
3) Baby should ideally see a urological surgeon before 6 months of age
4) Orchidopexy –> majority of procedures are performed at around 1 year of age
With bilateral undescended testes, what is the management?
Should be reviewed by a senior paediatrician within 24hours as the child may need urgent endocrine or genetic investigation.
E.g. This may be a presentation of congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) and are therefore at risk of salt-losing crisis, requiring high dose sodium chloride therapy and careful glucose monitoring followed by steroid replacement.
What must be excluded in cases of bilateral undescended testes?
Hormonal causes such as androgen insensitivity syndrome or disorder of sex development must be excluded.
What is orchidopexy?
Surgical correction of undescended testes
When should orchidopexy be carried out for undescended testis?
Between 6-12 months old
What are retractile testicles?
A normal variant in boys that have not reached puberty.
The testes move out of the scrotum and into the inguinal canal when it is cold or the cremasteric reflex is activated.
This usually resolves as they go through puberty and the testes settle in the scrotum.
Occasionally they may fully retract or fail to descend and require surgical correction with orchidopexy.
What is hypospadias?
A congenital abnormality of the penis, where the urethral meatus (the opening of the urethra) is abnormally displaced to the ventral side (underside) of the penis, towards the scrotum.
This might be:
- further towards the bottom of the glans (in 90% of cases)
- halfway down the shaft
- even at the base of the shaft
Pathophysiology of hypospasdias?
occurs due to arrest of penile development, leading to hypoplasia of the ventral tissue of the penis.
What is epispadias?
Where the meatus is displaced to the dorsal side (top side) of the penis.
Usually, the foreskin is abnormally formed to match the position of the meatus.
How is hypospadias usually diagnosed?
1) On examination of the newborn
2) If missed, parents may present describing abnormal urinary flow
What are the 3 key features of hypospadias (although not all 3 are required for the condition)?
1) Ventral opening of the urethral meatus
2) Ventral curvature of the penis or “Chordee”
3) Dorsal hooded foreskin
What is ‘chordee’?
Congenital penile curvature - causes the penis to bend or twist, especially while it is erect .
Management of hypospadias?
1) refer to specialist
2) corrective surgery (urethroplasty): typically performed when the child is around 1-years-old
Note - in boys with very distal disease, no treatment may be needed.
What is essential prior to hypospadias surgery?
It is essential that the child is not circumcised prior to the surgery as the foreskin may be used in the corrective procedure
What is the mainstay of treatment of hypospadias?
Urethroplasty
What are some complications of hypospadias?
1) Difficulty directing urination
2) Cosmetic and psychological concerns
3) Sexual dysfunction
What is a hydrocele?
A collection of fluid within the tunica vaginalis that surrounds the testes.
This results in a scrotal swelling.
What is the tunica vaginalis?
A sealed pouch of membrane that surrounds the testes.
What can hydroceles be divided into?
Communicating & non-communicating.
What are non-communicating (i.e. simple) hydroceles caused by?
Caused by excessive fluid production within the tunica vaginalis.
Usually this fluid gets reabsorbed over time and the hydrocele disappears.
What is a communicating hydrocele?
Where the tunica vaginalis around the testicle is connected with the peritoneal cavity via a pathway called the processus vaginalis.
This allows peritoneal fluid to travel from the peritoneal cavity into the hydrocele, allowing the hydrocele to fluctuate in size.
If the connection is large enough, an inguinal hernia may occur due to the protrusion of intra-abdominal contents.
Most paediatric hydroceles, seen in neonates and infants, are congenital.
What may hydroceles presenting in older patients be 2ary to?
1) Testicular tumours
2) Testicular torsion
3) Trauma
4) Infection e.g. epididymo-orchitis
Clinical features of a hydrocele?
1) Soft, non-tender swelling of the hemi-scrotum, usually anterior to and below the testicle
2) The swelling is confined to the scrotum, you can get ‘above’ the mass on examination
3) Transilluminates with a pen torch
4) The testis may be difficult to palpate if the hydrocele is large
describe the scrotal mass on examination in a hydrocele
Non-tender, smooth & transilluminates.
What are the key differentials of a scrotal or inguinal swelling in a neonate?
1) Hydrocele
2) Partially descended testes
3) Inguinal hernia
4) Testicular torsion
5) Haematoma
6) Tumours (rare)
1st line investigation for confirming diagnosis of a hydrocele and excluding other causes?
US (especially in older patients to exclude any underlying cause such as a tumour).
However, diagnosis may be clinical.
Management of infantile hydroceles?
1) Reassure - usually resolve by age of 1-2 years
2) If not, surgery
What does surgery invove in management of hydroceles?
Surgical operation to remove or ligate the connection between the peritoneal cavity and the hydrocele (the processus vaginalis).