Learn About Anorchia
Anorchia is the absence of both testes at birth.
Vanishing testes - anorchia; Empty scrotum - anorchia; Scrotum - empty (anorchia)
The embryo develops early sex organs in the first several weeks of pregnancy. In some cases, early testes do not develop in males before 8 weeks into the pregnancy. These babies will be born with female sex organs.
In some cases, the testes disappear between 8 and 10 weeks. These babies will be born with ambiguous genitalia. This means the child will have parts of both male and female sex organs.
In some cases, the testes may disappear between 12 and 14 weeks. These babies will have normal penis and scrotum. However, they will not have any testes. This is known as congenital anorchia. It is also called the "vanishing testes syndrome."
The cause is unknown. Genetic factors may be involved in some cases.
This condition should not be confused with bilateral undescended testes, in which the testes are located in the abdomen or groin rather than the scrotum.
Symptoms may include:
- Normal outside genitals before puberty
- Failure to start puberty at the correct time
Treatment includes:
- Artificial (prosthetic) testicle implants
- Male hormones (androgens)
- Psychological support
Faculty Of Medicine, Nursing And Health Sciences, Monash University
Ramesh Nataraja is in Melbourne, Australia. Nataraja is rated as an Elite expert by MediFind in the treatment of Anorchia. He is also highly rated in 10 other conditions, according to our data. His top areas of expertise are Anorchia, Appendicitis, Swyer Syndrome, and Intussusception in Children.
The Center For Men's Health
Hui-xing Chen is in Shanghai, China. Chen is rated as a Distinguished expert by MediFind in the treatment of Anorchia. They are also highly rated in 1 other condition, according to our data. Their top areas of expertise are Anorchia, Varicocele, Swyer Syndrome, and Erectile Dysfunction.
University Hospital Of Copenhagen
Anders Juul is in Copenhagen, Denmark. Juul is rated as a Distinguished expert by MediFind in the treatment of Anorchia. He is also highly rated in 37 other conditions, according to our data. His top areas of expertise are Intersex, Hypogonadism, Klinefelter Syndrome, and Testicular Failure.
The outlook is good with treatment.
Complications include:
- Face, neck, or back abnormalities in some cases
- Infertility
- Psychological issues due to gender identification
Call your health care provider if a male child:
- Appears to have extremely small or absent testicles
- Does not seem to be starting puberty during his early teens
Published Date : August 10, 2020
Published By : Kelly L. Stratton, MD, FACS, Associate Professor, Department of Urology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
Ali O, Donohoue PA. Hypofunction of the testes. In: Kliegman RM, St. Geme JW, Blum NJ, Shah SS, Tasker RC, Wilson KM, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 21st ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 601.
Chan Y-M, Hannema SE, Achermann JC, Hughes IA. Disorders of sex development. In: Melmed S, Auchus RJ, Goldfine AB, Koenig RJ, Rosen CJ, eds. Williams Textbook of Endocrinology. 14th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 24.
Yu RN, Diamond DA. Disorders of sexual development: etiology, evaluation, and medical management. In: Partin AW, Dmochowski RR, Kavoussi LR, Peters CA, eds. Campbell-Walsh-Wein Urology. 12th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 48.