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The impact of early and successful orchidopexy on hormonal follow-up for 208 boys with bilateral non-syndromic cryptorchidism

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Abstract

Purpose

Inhibin-B is produced by Sertoli cells and decreased values might be associated with impaired fertility potential. The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of bilateral orchidopexy on serum inhibin-B and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH).

Methods

A cohort study including 208 bilateral cryptorchid boys (median age: 1.7 year) was evaluated with serum inhibin-B and FSH in relation to histological parameters. Based on the fertility potential, the boys were divided into three subgroups. At follow-up (median age: 2.7 years) the boys were evaluated with FSH and in case of inhibin-B using multiple of the median (MoM).

Results

Inhibin-B MoM improved significantly at follow-up. In 32 boys with high FSH at orchidopexy 63% normalized FSH and 59% increased MoM inhibin-B, but 31% had impaired inhibin-B at follow-up. In 105 boys with transient hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, 52% increased inhibin-B MoM but 31% had impaired inhibin-B at follow-up. In 71 boys with normal FSH, inhibin-B, and G/T, 54% increased inhibin-B MoM and 15% had impaired inhibin-B at follow-up. The effect of the surgery was best in patients younger than 1 year.

Conclusion

Orchidopexy, especially before 1 year of age, improves the fertility potential in bilateral cryptorchidism. At follow-up, 26% (54/208) had a risk of infertility based on inhibin-B.

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Abbreviations

FSH:

Follicle-stimulating hormone

LH:

Luteinizing hormone

G/T:

The number of germ cells, including gonocytes and spermatogonia, per cross-sectional seminiferous tubule

AdS/T:

The number of type A dark spermatogonia per cross-sectional seminiferous tubule

MoM:

Multiple of the median

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Funding

S.H. and M.F. are supported by Novo Nordisk Foundation (Grant no. NNF SA170030576).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatric Surgery, Surgical Clinic C, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, 9 Blegdamsvej, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Simone Hildorf, Magdalena Fossum & Jorgen Thorup

  2. Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Simone Hildorf, Dina Cortes, Magdalena Fossum & Jorgen Thorup

  3. Department of Pediatrics and Adolescence Medicine, Copenhagen University Hospital Hvidovre, Hvidovre, Denmark

    Dina Cortes

  4. Department of Pathology, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Erik Clasen-Linde

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  1. Simone Hildorf
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  2. Dina Cortes
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  5. Jorgen Thorup
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Correspondence to Simone Hildorf.

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Hildorf, S., Cortes, D., Clasen-Linde, E. et al. The impact of early and successful orchidopexy on hormonal follow-up for 208 boys with bilateral non-syndromic cryptorchidism. Pediatr Surg Int 37, 339–345 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00383-020-04820-y

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