2.2 Diagnosis

Maldescensus testis is diagnosed by clinical examination and sonography. Sonography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may help in localizing the impalpable testis; the accuracy of the latter is 90% for intra-abdominal testis. Once abdominal retention is suspected, laparoscopy has been established as a diagnostic and therapeutic procedure. In this procedure, the testis can be localized in its abdominal position and placed scrotally using the technique appropriate to the anatomical conditions. A human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) stimulation test, as evidence of testosterone-producing testis tissue, should precede operative exploration for bilaterally impalpable testes.