Japan’s comprehensive undescended testis screening program: incidence of ascending testis after screening
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In brief
In brief
Retrospective study of 376 boys demonstrates Japan's comprehensive multi-stage screening program for undescended testis significantly reduces late surgical intervention (12.8% vs 30-50% in Western countries) and ascending testis incidence (5.7% vs 15.4%). Early detection through screening at multiple ages appears to prevent secondary testicular ascent.
Written by the GCMD Library team from the article.
Abstract
Purpose
Screening for undescended testis (UDT) in Japan is performed as a neonate, then at 1, 3, 10, and 18 months old, and 3 years old. Incidence of ascending testis (AT) after screening was reviewed.
Methods
All orchiopexy/orchiectomy at a single institute between July 2005 and June 2022 were reviewed retrospectively.
Results
376 boys had 422 procedures; 54/422 (12.8%) were in 48 boys ≥ 4 years old (mean age: 6.7 years; range: 4–13); testes were normal (n = 22; 40.7%), small (n = 25; 46.2%), or atrophied (n = 7; 1.3%). There were 47 orchiopexies and 7 orchiectomies for atrophy. Incidence of AT in boys ≥ 4 years old was 24/422 (5.7%). Of these, 16/422 (3.8%) developed after normal descent and 8/422 (1.9%) were associated with retractile testis (AT + RET). Other indications included delayed treatment for UDT (n = 13), late referral by pediatricians (n = 10), and iatrogenic UDT (n = 6).
Surgical intervention in boys ≥ 4 years old (12.8%) was less than that reported in the West (range: 30–50%) as was AT: (5.7% versus 15.4%) and AT + RET (1.9% versus 13.8%).
Conclusions
Comprehensive UDT screening probably contributed to the lower incidence of surgery and AT (especially AT + RET) in boys ≥ 4 years old.