Review of the Association Between Undescended Testis and Gastroschisis

Abstract

Purpose: Undescended testis (UDT) is commonly associated with gastroschisis. It is considered that the reduction in abdominal pressure during the fetal period leads to the occurrence of UDT. However, the actual cause of UDT is unknown. We report on the association between undescended testis and gastroschisis.

Methods: We reviewed the cases of 13 male neonates with gastroschisis, who were born at our institution from 2006 to 2015. They were classified into two groups: the undescended testis (UDT) group and the normal (N) group (i.e., descended testis). We examined their gestational age, birth weight, defect diameter, number of days until abdominal wall closure after siloplasty, position of the testis, and the course of UDT.

Results: We performed siloplasty in all of the 13 neonates. Six neonates had UDT (46.2%). All neonates had unilateral UDT. There were no significant differences in background factors such as gestational age, birth weight, and defect diameter between the UDT group and the N group. However, the time until abdominal wall closure after siloplasty was significantly longer in the UDT group than in the N group (9.8 vs 6 days, P = 0.011). In addition, we observed UDT complicated by gastroschisis until one year of age similarly to general UDT. Natural descent of the testes occurred in only one patient (16.7%).

Conclusions: There is a tendency that the time until abdominal wall closure after siloplasty becomes longer if gastroschisis is present with UDT than without UDT. It is suggested that the decrease in intraperitoneal pressure during the fetal period may cause insufficient capacity for development of the abdominal wall and cause UDT. UDT complicated by gastroschisis should be treated by elective surgery. However, the natural descent of the testis has a lower tendency in UDT complicated by gastroschisis than in general UDT. Therefore, the possibility that surgery is required is high.