AnorchiaSymptoms, Doctors, Treatments, Advances & More
Learn About Anorchia
Anorchia is the absence of both testes at birth.
Vanishing testes - anorchia; Empty scrotum - anorchia; Scrotum - empty (anorchia)
Sex organs in an embryo develop during the first several weeks of pregnancy. In some cases, early testes do not develop in males before 8 weeks of pregnancy. As a result, the male fetus may be born with female organs.
In some cases, the testes disappear between 8 and 10 weeks. These babies are 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 have a 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
Luminita Cima practices practicing medicine in Bucharest, Romania. Cima is rated as an Elite expert by MediFind in the treatment of Anorchia. They are also highly rated in 4 other conditions, according to our data. Their clinical expertise encompasses Anorchia, Undescended Testicle, Graves Disease, Bone Marrow Transplant, and Orchiectomy.
Franciscan Medical Clinic - Federal Way
Thanh Pham is a primary care provider, practicing in Internal Medicine in Federal Way, Washington. Dr. Pham is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Anorchia. He is also highly rated in 15 other conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Type 2 Diabetes (T2D), Osteomyelitis in Children, Chronic Pain, and Familial Combined Hyperlipidemia. Dr. Pham is board certified in American Board Of Internal Medicine. Dr. Pham is currently accepting new patients.
Cleveland Clinic
Lynn Woo is a Pediatrics provider practicing medicine in Cleveland, Ohio. Dr. Woo is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Anorchia. She is also highly rated in 5 other conditions, according to our data. Her clinical expertise encompasses Anorchia, Undescended Testicle, Hypospadias, Orchiectomy, and Nephrectomy. Dr. Woo is currently accepting new patients.
The outlook is good with treatment.
Complications include:
- Face, neck, or back abnormalities in some cases
- Infertility
- Psychological issues
Contact 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
Summary: To analyze the short and long term postoperative clinical outcome and patient satisfaction of silicone gel-filled testicular implants.
Published Date: August 19, 2026
Published By: Nowreen Haq, MD, MPH, Specialist in Endocrinology, Obesity Medicine and Internal Medicine. Medical director, ICON Plc and Maryland Endocrinology, Maryland. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
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Chan Y-M, Hannema SE. Differences of sex development. In: Melmed S, Auchus RJ, Goldfine AB, Rosen CJ, Kopp PA, eds. Williams Textbook of Endocrinology. 15th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2025:chap 21.
Johnson EK, Finlayson C, Cheng EY. Disorders of sexual development: etiology, evaluation, and medical management. In: Dmochowski RR, Kavoussi LR, Peters CA, et al, eds. Campbell Walsh Wein Urology. 13th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2026:chap 59.