Undescended testicles are often classified according to their location and whether they can be felt (palpable or nonpalpable).
Abdominal: The testicle remains inside the abdomen and cannot be felt (is nonpalpable) during a physical exam. It is usually near the inner opening of the inguinal canal.
Inguinal: The testicle stops in the inguinal canal and usually cannot be felt during a physical exam.
Prescrotal or prepubic: The testicle moves farther down the inguinal canal but does not descend all the way into the scrotum. It usually can be felt (is palpable) during a physical exam.
It’s estimated that about one in every 25 boys are born with undescended testicles.
In most cases, no treatment is necessary, as the testicles will usually move down into the scrotum naturally during the first three to six months of life. However, around one in 100 boys has testicles that stay undescended unless treated.
The medical term for having one or two undescended testicles is unilateral or bilateral cryptorchidism.
Being born prematurely (before the 37th week of pregnancy), having a low birth weight and having a family history of undescended testicles may increase the chances of a boy being born with undescended testicles.