BACKGROUND: The last decades revealed new scientific knowledge regarding the fertility and potential malignancy of undescended testis AQ2(UDT). Accordingly, many guidelines changed their recommendation concerning timing of therapy, with the goal of an earlier time of surgery.
METHODS: We analyzed the number of new diagnosis and performed surgeries in predefined age groups provided by the obligatory annual reports of German hospitals in the reimbursement.INFO\"-tool between 2006 and 2020.
RESULTS: Overall, 124,741 cases were analyzed. We showed a slight increase in performed surgeries in the first year by 2% per year with a main increase till 2011, a constant number of surgeries between first and 4th year and a decrease of surgeries between 5 and 14th year of living with a main decrease till 2009 by 3% per year.
CONCLUSIONS: Even if our results illustrate an increasing adaption of the guideline\'s recommendation, there is still a significant number of patients who receive later treatment. More research about the reasons and circumstances for the latter is needed.

BACKGROUND: To lower the risk of testicular malignancies and subfertility, international guidelines recommend orchidopexy for undescended testis (UDT) before the age of 12-18 months. Previous studies reported low rates of 5-15% of timely surgery. Most of these studies are based on DRG and OPS code-based data from healthcare system institutions that do not distinguish between congenital and acquired UDT.
METHODS: In a retrospective study data of all boys who underwent orchidopexy in a university hospital and two outpatient surgical departments from 2009 to 2022 were analyzed. The data differentiates congenital from acquired UDT.
RESULTS: Out of 2694 patients, 1843 (68.4%) had congenital and 851 (31.6%) had acquired UDT. In 24.9% of congenital cases surgery was performed before the age of 12 months. The median age at surgery for congenital UDT was 16 months (range 7-202). Over the years there was an increased rate of boys operated on before the age of 2 (40% in 2009, 60% in 2022). The median age fluctuated over the years between 21 and 11 months without a trend to younger ages.. The covid pandemic did not lead to an increase of the median age at surgery. The median time between referral and surgery was 46 days (range 1-1836). Reasons for surgery after 12 months of age were a delayed referral to pediatric surgeries (51.2%), followed by relevant comorbidities (28.2%).
CONCLUSIONS: Compared to recent literature, out data show that a closer look at details enables a more realistic approach. Still, there is no trend towards the recommended age for surgical treatment observable, but the rate of timely operated boys with congenital UDT is significantly higher than stated in literature.

OBJECTIVE: To produce a best practice consensus guideline for the conduct of scrotal exploration for suspected testicular torsion using formal consensus methodology.
METHODS: A panel of 16 expert urologists, representing adult, paediatric, general, and andrological urology used the RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Consensus Methodology to score a 184 statement pre-meeting questionnaire on the conduct of scrotal exploration for suspected testicular torsion. The collated responses were presented at a face-to-face online meeting and each item was rescored anonymously after a group discussion, facilitated by an independent chair with expertise in consensus methodology. Items were scored for agreement and consensus and the items scored with consensus were used to derive a set of best practice guidelines.
RESULTS: Statements scored as with consensus increased from Round 1 (122/184, 66.3%) to Round 2 (149/200, 74.5%). Recommendations were generated in ten categories: consent, assessment under anaesthetic, initial incision, intraoperative decision making, fixation, medical photography, closure, operation note, logistics and follow-up after scrotal exploration. Our statements assume that the decision to operate has already been made. Key recommendations in the consent process included the discussion of the possibility of orchidectomy and the possibility of subsequent infection of the affected testis or wound requiring antibiotic therapy. If after the examination under anaesthesia, the index of suspicion of testicular torsion is lower than previously thought, then the surgeon should still proceed to scrotal exploration as planned. A flow chart guiding decision making dependent on intraoperative findings has been designed. If no torsion is present on exploration and the bell clapper deformity is absent, the testis should not be fixed. When fixing a testis using sutures, 3 or 4-point is acceptable and non-absorbable sutures are preferred.
CONCLUSIONS: We have produced consensus recommendations to inform best practice in the conduct of scrotal exploration for suspected testicular torsion.

UNASSIGNED: The American Urological Association published guidelines in 2014 regarding management of undescended testicles (UDT). Despite these guidelines, prior studies have indicated discordance between guidelines and actual practice, especially in rural states. This study aims to identify if educating referring providers improves management of UDT.
UNASSIGNED: Patients with UDT referred to our institution were divided into two groups: those referred prior to (Group 1) and after (Group 2) targeted education. A retrospective review was performed to compare the groups in terms of age at time of referral and surgery, laterality, specialty, and practice setting of referring provider, and whether or not ultrasound (US) was performed prior to referral.
UNASSIGNED: A total of 100 patients were identified in Group 1 and 168 in Group 2. No significant differences were noted between groups regarding age, variability of referring provider, or those receiving US prior to referral. Median age at referral was 20.7 months (range=0-194) and 33 months (range=0-205.1) in Groups 1 and 2, respectively (p=0.26). Sixty-two (37%) patients underwent surgical evaluation within 18 months of age or younger in Group 1 compared to 39 (39%) in Group 2 (p=0.73). Private practice pediatricians comprised the majority of referring providers in both cohorts. US was performed prior to referral in 41% of patients in Group 1 compared to 35.8% in Group 2 (p=0.51). The number of US ordered prior to referral significantly decreased from 10 (50%) to six (19%) following education among academic providers (p=0.02). No significant difference was found following education for private practice physicians (p=0.27).
UNASSIGNED: Targeted education did not improve age at referral in the short-term, which may reflect suboptimal healthcare access. Additionally, more research is needed to evaluate whether more diverse targeted education provided on a regular basis to both physician and mid-level providers would have a meaningful impact.

With an incidence of 0.7-3% in male infants, undescended testicles is one of the most common congenital anomalies. In the first 6 months of life, the testicles may spontaneously descend in up to 70% of individuals. If the testicle is not in a scrotal position afterwards, fertility can gradually be reduced and the risk of a testicular tumor increases. Therefore, the current German guideline for undescended testis recommends that therapy should be take place between 6 and 12 months of life. After extensive information on the advantages and disadvantages, hormone therapy with the aim of a descensus or in those with bilateral anomaly with the aim of improving the germ cell pool can be offered. After the first year of life, hormone therapy is obsolete. Otherwise, surgical intervention is the treatment of choice. In the case of gliding or deep inguinal testis via scrotal or inguinal access, in the case of nonpalpable and sonographically undetectable testis, laparoscopy is carried out for diagnosis and simultaneous therapy. In the first postoperative year, adequate follow-up should be done to detect a re-ascensus and/or insufficient growth. Regular self-examinations from the age of 15 serve for the early detection of a testicular tumor that occurs only very rarely (approximately 0.003%).

It has been known for more than 20 years that early treatment of maldescended testicles can have a positive effect on fertility and a negative effect on the development of tumors. In certain circumstances, hormone therapy is still recommended in German-speaking countries. However, its benefit is still controversially discussed. Therapy is usually initiated by the pediatrician, who is usually the first to detect undescended testicles. Since therapy may involve early hormone therapy as well as surgery, acceptance among pediatricians and also the parents may be reduced. The question also arises as to how far the implementation is practicable. In patients with nonpalpable testis, there are many controversies concerning the value of ultrasound investigations. In the following two case studies, the treatment decisions for undescended testes in infancy are exemplified. Furthermore, the available evidence from the literature and guidelines is presented to provide assistance for daily routine care and to critically discuss potential fields of application and limitations of existing guidelines.

BACKGROUND: Early orchidopexy (OP) around the age of 1 year is recommended in boys with congenital undescended testis (UDT) worldwide since decades. Former retrospectives studies did not distinguish congenital from acquired UDT with a consecutive negative bias concerning the age at surgery.
METHODS: In a retrospective analysis, data of all boys who underwent OP in eight pediatric surgery institutions from 2009 to 2015 were analyzed. Congenital or acquired UDT were differentiated. Patients were categorized into 3 groups of age at surgery: (1) <12 months, (2) 12-24 months, (3) >24 months. Data of one institution were analyzed in detail: exact age of first referral, exact age at surgery, intraoperative findings.
RESULTS: Out of 4448 boys, 3270 boys had congenital UDT. In 81% (2656 cases) surgery was performed beyond the age of 1 year, in 54.4% (1780) beyond the age of 2 years. chi-Square statistics showed a higher rate of early operations in hospitals compared to outpatient services and in Germany compared to Switzerland. In 694 congenital detailed cases, median age at referral was 13 months [range 0-196], median age at surgery was 15 months [range 0-202].
CONCLUSIONS: Delayed referral is the main reason for guideline non-conform delayed surgery in UDT.
METHODS: Clinical Research paper.
METHODS: Level III: Treatment Study.

To assess the implementation of the current guideline and identify potential underlying causes for late surgery in children with undescended testis (UDT) in Germany. UDT is the most common surgical issue in paediatric urology and to avoid malignant degeneration and subfertility current guidelines recommend orchidopexy during the first year of life; however, this seems not to be implemented in practice.
In all, 5 547 patients with cryptorchidism at 16 hospitals nationwide were studied regarding age at orchidopexy between 2003 and 2016. Multivariate analysis was performed to identify factors influencing timing of surgery. Additionally, a survey on knowledge of UDT management was conducted amongst physicians treating boys and final-year medical students.
Between 2003 and 2008 only 4% of boys with UDT underwent surgery before the age of 1 year. After the guideline update from 2009, this figure was 5% from 2010 to 2012, and 8% from 2013 to 2016. The presence of a specialised department for paediatric surgery, as well as a high UDT case-to-year ratio positively influenced the timing of orchidopexy. The survey revealed discipline-specific differences in the levels of knowledge about UDT management. One-third of respondents did not know the guideline recommendations and 61% felt insufficiently informed. International comparisons revealed significant differences in the age at surgery of boys with UDT, with Germany and Great Britain ranging in the middle of the field.
Currently, only a small proportion of boys with UDT are operated upon during their first year of life. The level of knowledge in attending physicians remains in need of improvement. This should be actively addressed, i.e. by campaigns and educational programmes. Further studies are needed to investigate the underlying causes of late orchidopexy in UDT.

Undescended testis is the most common endocrinological disease in the male newborn period. Incidence varies between 1.0% and 4.6% in full-term neonates, with rates as high as 45% in preterm neonates. Failure or delay of treatment can result in reduced fertility and/or increased testicular cancer risk in adulthood.
To provide recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of boys with undescended testes which reduce the risk of impaired fertility and testicular cancer in adulthood.
Embase and Pubmed were searched for all relevant publications, from 1990 to 2015 limited to English language. Data were narratively synthesized in light of methodological and clinical heterogeneity. The risk of bias of each included study was assessed.
There is consensus that early treatment, by 18 months at the latest, for undescended testes is mandatory to avoid possible sequelae regarding fertility potential and cancer risk. The current standard therapy is orchidopexy, while hormonal therapy is still under debate. However, in some individuals the successful scrotal placement of previously undescended testes may not prevent potential negative long-term outcomes regarding fertility and testicular malignancy.
There is good evidence for early placement of undescended testes in the scrotal position to prevent potential impairment of fertility and reduce the risk of testicular malignancy. No consensus exists on the various forms of hormonal treatment, which are assessed on an individual basis.