Urogenital nonunion—the case for laparoscopy for the impalpable testis

Abstract

A case of urogenital nonunion is presented to illustrate the importance of laparoscopy for the impalpable testis. A 4-year-old boy with an impalpable left testis underwent laparoscopy. This revealed not only the vas deferens entering the deep inguinal ring but also a small intraabdominal testis supplied by the testicular vessels. Exploration of the inguinal canal revealed the vas deferens terminating in a nubbin of tissue. Histology identified epididymal structures both adjacent to the testis and in the terminal nubbin of the vas deferens. This is an example of urogenital nonunion. Complete separation of the vas and testis with epididymal structures attached to each is very unusual, with only four other cases reported. Laparoscopy should be the initial procedure for impalpable testis. A blind-ending vas deferens found on exploration of the inguinal canal might be taken as evidence of the vanishing testis syndrome. However, this conclusion should not be drawn unless laparoscopy has demonstrated testicular vessels entering the internal inguinal ring.