Anorchia Overview
Learn About Anorchia
Anorchia is the absence of both testes at birth.
Vanishing testes - anorchia; Empty scrotum - anorchia; Scrotum - empty (anorchia)
An 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 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
Ramesh Nataraja practices in Melbourne, Australia. Mr. Nataraja is rated as an Elite expert by MediFind in the treatment of Anorchia. His top areas of expertise are Anorchia, Infantile Pyloric Stenosis, Appendicitis, Appendectomy, and Endoscopy.
Luminita Cima practices in Bucharest, Romania. Cima is rated as an Elite expert by MediFind in the treatment of Anorchia. Their top areas of expertise are Anorchia, Undescended Testicle, Graves Disease, Bone Marrow Transplant, and Orchiectomy.
University Of Pittsburgh Physicians, Department Of Urology
Dr. Michael C. Ost is a urologist who treats a wide array of urologic conditions in both adults and children. He is skilled in minimally invasive surgery, utilizing robotics, laparoscopy, and endourologic techniques. His areas of expertise include the treatment of kidney cancer, congenital renal anomalies, ureteral injuries and abnormalities, and complex stone disease. Dr. Ost received his medical degree from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. He received subspecialty fellowship training in both endourology (Northwell Health System – New York) and pediatric urology (UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh). He was the first urologist in the United States to receive such training to treat a wide spectrum of urologic diseases in a minimally invasive fashion in both adults and children. He is widely published and has lectured nationally and internationally on his areas of specialization. Dr. Ost also received his MBA from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. In addition to his clinical practice as a professor of urology, Dr. Ost serves as Director of Pediatric Surgical Outreach at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh and Assistant Dean for Interprofessional Education and Technology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Dr. Ost is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Anorchia. His top areas of expertise are Anorchia, Ureterocele, UPJ Obstruction, Lithotripsy, and Ureteroscopy.
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: September 02, 2024
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 C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team. Editorial update 02/05/2025.
Ali O, Donohoue PA. Hypofunction of the testes. In: Kliegman RM, St. Geme JW, Blum NJ, et al, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 22nd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2025:chap 623.
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.
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.