ABSTRACT
In the last year 1999, multi disciplinary projects were done between surgical, dermatological and pediatric departments aiming to re-explore the histological and morphological changes in cryptorchid testis and its relation to age. Twenty four male patients were divided into 4 main groups; group A included 6 infants under the age of 2 years, group B included 4 patients from 2-9 years [prepubertal], group C included 6 patients from 9 to 14 years [pubertal] and group D included patients from 14 to 21 years [postpubertal]. Orchidopexy was done for all patients in one stage and bilateral testicular biopsy was taken and fixed immediately in Baun's solution and then stained by H and E for histopathological preparations. The results showed that for boys under the age of 2 years, there was no change from the normal spermatogonia and sertoli cells with no thickening of their basement membrane. For prepubertal children, changes were evident by the age of 7 and 8 years in the form of decreased number of spermatogonia, delayed maturation of sertoli cells, widening of interstitial spaces and increased number of fibroblasts in the interstitium. In pubertal patients, the spermatogonia became rare and sertoli cells were immature. Biopsy specimens from post-pubertal patients showed marked reduction of spermatogonia and arrest of spermatogenesis at primary spermatocyte stage