Other conditions associated with undescended testicles

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Other conditions associated with undescended testicles

Most boys who have undescended testicles are otherwise healthy and do not have other birth defects or medical conditions. However, sometimes undescended testicles are associated with an inguinal hernia.

Occasionally, undescended testicles are also associated with:

• Neural tube defects.
• Disorders of the pituitary gland and the endocrine system.
• Hypospadias, a common birth defect where the urethra does not extend to the tip of the penis.

Males who have rare congenital conditions—including cystic fibrosis, Kallman's syndrome, Klinefelter syndrome, Noonan's syndrome (male Turner syndrome), and Prader-Willi syndrome—are more likely than other males to have undescended testicles.

Undescended testicles occur in baby boys who have abdominal wall defects and prune belly syndrome. This syndrome is a condition in which abdominal muscles and structures are missing and some organs, such as the bladder and kidneys, develop abnormally.

Credits

Last updated:	June 06, 2007
Author:	Debby Golonka, MPH
Reviewed By:	Michael J. Sexton, MD - Pediatrics, Peter Anderson, MD, FRCS(C) - Pediatric Urology
Editors:	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Pat Truman, MATC