Atrophic testicles in infancy.

[Writerwannabe83]

My DS is 15 months and since birth was thought to have a hydrocele but a scan today showed things were more complex as they initially struggled to find his right testicle and then when they did find it they realised it was much smaller and under developed.

The radiologists were a bit cagey about it all and naturally Google has worried me senseless

Does anyone know much about atrophic testicles or have experience of it. I feel worried and upset

[BarbarianMum]

Very little actual knowledge but I have a second cousin who was born with this condition. He had to take hormonal suppliments to trigger puberty and as an adult. He is also (I believe) infertile, but in his case both testicles were affected. We are both in our mid 40s and I would assume that any treatment required today would be far more sophisticated than was available to him (not a UK citizen).

Sorry not to be more helpful but we are not close and its not really something that was much talked about. Is your dc under a consultant? You can email w questions rather than torturing yourself w google.

[Writerwannabe83]

He's not under a Consultant, it was my GP who referred DS for the scan. The Radiologist is going to ask my GP to refer DS to a paediatric urologist.

Did your cousin go through puberty ok with the hormones?

The radiologists were pretty confident that my DS's left testicle was perfectly normal which is positive I guess.

[ClaimedByMe]

My ds was born with a hydrocele, his left (I think) testicle twisted in the scrotum the blood supply to it was cut off and it died off, he was left with a wee pea sized hard lump that eventually was just absorbed by his body. He was under a consultant until he was about 2, his consultant was great, says that he will develop normally, will have a normal puberty and he can have a prosthetic testicle when he is fully developed if he wants one. One thing the consultant did say was if we were worried about the remaining testicle at all or if he injured it in any way to go straight to A&E, do not go to the gp or phone out of hours straight to A&E as if there is a problem they only have a window of 6 hours to save the remaining one.