BACK TOTOP Browse A-ZSearchBrowse A-ZABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0-9 E-mail FormEmail ResultsName:Email address:Recipients Name:Recipients address:Message: Print-FriendlyBookmarksbookmarks-menuAnorchiaVanishing testes - anorchia; Empty scrotum - anorchia; Scrotum - empty (anorchia)Anorchia is the absence of both testes at birth.TestesThe testes are 2 egg-shaped male reproductive organs located in the scrotum. They produce sperm and the male hormone, testosterone.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Causes 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.Ambiguous genitaliaAmbiguous genitalia is a rare condition where a child is born with outer genitals that do not clearly look either male or female. They may have feat...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article 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.Bilateral undescended testesUndescended testicle occurs when one or both testicles fail to move into the scrotum before birth.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Symptoms Symptoms may include:Normal outside genitals before puberty Failure to start puberty at the correct timePuberty Puberty is when your body changes, when you develop from being a boy to a man. Learn what changes to expect so that you feel more prepared....Read Article Now Book Mark Article Exams and Tests Signs include:Empty scrotum Lack of male sex characteristics (penis and pubic hair growth, deepening of the voice, and increase in muscle mass) Tests include:Anti-Müllerian hormone levels Bone density Bone densityA bone mineral density (BMD) test measures how much calcium and other types of minerals are in an area of your bone. This test helps your health care...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) levels FSHThe follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) blood test measures the level of FSH in blood. FSH is a hormone released by the pituitary gland, located on t...Read Article Now Book Mark Article LHThe LH blood test measures the amount of luteinizing hormone (LH) in blood. LH is a hormone released by the pituitary gland, located on the undersid...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Surgery to look for male reproductive tissue Testosterone levels (low) Testosterone levelsA testosterone test measures the amount of the male hormone, testosterone, in the blood. Both men and women produce this hormone. The test described...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Ultrasound or MRI to look for testes in the abdomen UltrasoundUltrasound uses high-frequency sound waves to make images of organs and structures inside the body.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article MRIA magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan is an imaging test that uses powerful magnets and radio waves to create pictures of the body. It does not us...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article XY karyotypeXY karyotypeKaryotyping is a test to examine chromosomes in a sample of cells. This test can help identify genetic problems as the cause of a disorder or diseas...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Treatment Treatment includes:Artificial (prosthetic) testicle implants Male hormones (androgens) Psychological support Outlook (Prognosis) The outlook is good with treatment. Possible Complications Complications include:Face, neck, or back abnormalities in some cases Infertility InfertilityInfertility means you cannot get pregnant (conceive). There are 2 types of infertility:Primary infertility refers to couples who have not become preg...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Psychological issues due to gender identification When to Contact a Medical Professional 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 teensOpen ReferencesReferencesAli 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.AllVideoImagesTogMale reproductive anatomy - illustration The male reproductive structures include the penis, the scrotum, the testicles (testes), the epididymis, the seminal vesicles, and the prostate.Male reproductive anatomyillustrationMale reproductive system - illustration The male reproductive system, viewed from a sagittal section.Male reproductive systemillustrationMale reproductive anatomy - illustration The male reproductive structures include the penis, the scrotum, the testicles (testes), the epididymis, the seminal vesicles, and the prostate.Male reproductive anatomyillustrationMale reproductive system - illustration The male reproductive system, viewed from a sagittal section.Male reproductive systemillustrationRelated Information Testes(Special Topic)Ambiguous genitalia(Symptoms)Infertility(Condition)Infertility in women - InDepth(In-Depth) Review Date: 7/4/2022 Reviewed 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. The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. No warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, is made as to the accuracy, reliability, timeliness, or correctness of any translations made by a third-party service of the information provided herein into any other language. © 1997- A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. © 1997- All rights reserved. A.D.A.M. content is best viewed in IE9 or above, Firefox and Google Chrome browser.Content is best viewed in IE9 or above, Firefox and Google Chrome browser.
AnorchiaVanishing testes - anorchia; Empty scrotum - anorchia; Scrotum - empty (anorchia)Anorchia is the absence of both testes at birth.TestesThe testes are 2 egg-shaped male reproductive organs located in the scrotum. They produce sperm and the male hormone, testosterone.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Causes 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.Ambiguous genitaliaAmbiguous genitalia is a rare condition where a child is born with outer genitals that do not clearly look either male or female. They may have feat...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article 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.Bilateral undescended testesUndescended testicle occurs when one or both testicles fail to move into the scrotum before birth.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Symptoms Symptoms may include:Normal outside genitals before puberty Failure to start puberty at the correct timePuberty Puberty is when your body changes, when you develop from being a boy to a man. Learn what changes to expect so that you feel more prepared....Read Article Now Book Mark Article Exams and Tests Signs include:Empty scrotum Lack of male sex characteristics (penis and pubic hair growth, deepening of the voice, and increase in muscle mass) Tests include:Anti-Müllerian hormone levels Bone density Bone densityA bone mineral density (BMD) test measures how much calcium and other types of minerals are in an area of your bone. This test helps your health care...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) levels FSHThe follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) blood test measures the level of FSH in blood. FSH is a hormone released by the pituitary gland, located on t...Read Article Now Book Mark Article LHThe LH blood test measures the amount of luteinizing hormone (LH) in blood. LH is a hormone released by the pituitary gland, located on the undersid...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Surgery to look for male reproductive tissue Testosterone levels (low) Testosterone levelsA testosterone test measures the amount of the male hormone, testosterone, in the blood. Both men and women produce this hormone. The test described...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Ultrasound or MRI to look for testes in the abdomen UltrasoundUltrasound uses high-frequency sound waves to make images of organs and structures inside the body.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article MRIA magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan is an imaging test that uses powerful magnets and radio waves to create pictures of the body. It does not us...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article XY karyotypeXY karyotypeKaryotyping is a test to examine chromosomes in a sample of cells. This test can help identify genetic problems as the cause of a disorder or diseas...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Treatment Treatment includes:Artificial (prosthetic) testicle implants Male hormones (androgens) Psychological support Outlook (Prognosis) The outlook is good with treatment. Possible Complications Complications include:Face, neck, or back abnormalities in some cases Infertility InfertilityInfertility means you cannot get pregnant (conceive). There are 2 types of infertility:Primary infertility refers to couples who have not become preg...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Psychological issues due to gender identification When to Contact a Medical Professional 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 teensOpen ReferencesReferencesAli 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.