Ultrastructural Evidence of the Onset of Testicular Pathological Conditions in the Cryptorchid Human Testis within the First Year of Life

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Abstract
Pathological fibrosis of testicular intertubular tissues may be evident in the cryptorchid testis of children 1 yr old. A characteristic feature of such testes is massive collagen deposition, which disrupts the regular order of the interstitium, in particular the peritubular layer of cells, by the time the child is 4 yr old. These conclusions are based on ultrastructural examination of testicular biopsies collected at orchiopexy from 13 boys with cryptorchidism between 1 and 13 yr old. Apparently, orchiopexy should be performed in children at .apprx. 1 yr old; if performed after 2 yr, eventual normal testicular fuction is highly unlikely.