Shihui Li, Yongzhi Lin, Xixi Zheng
This study evaluated the effects of pediatric orchiopexy on serum inhibin B concentrations, confirmed postoperative changes in endocrine parameters, and explored the potential utility of serum inhibin B as a marker of postoperative endocrine recovery. A systematic search of PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science databases was conducted to identify self-controlled studies of boys with cryptorchidism who underwent orchiopexy. Relevant reference literature, related journals, and conference proceedings were also manually screened. Following quality assessment and data extraction, six studies involving 394 boys were included in the meta-analysis. In the primary analysis of studies reporting 6-month follow-up, serum inhibin B concentrations were significantly higher after orchiopexy than before surgery (MD, 14.03 pg/mL; 95% CI, 4.05-24.01 pg/mL; P = 0.014). Moderate-to-substantial heterogeneity was observed (I2 = 67.5%). Evidence from 1- and 12-month follow-up studies was limited and yielded inconsistent findings. No significant postoperative changes were observed in follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) (MD, -0.03 IU/L; 95% CI, -0.30 to 0.24 IU/L) or luteinizing hormone (LH) (MD, -0.02 IU/L; 95% CI, -0.07 to 0.04 IU/L). Orchiopexy was associated with a significant early increase in serum inhibin B, suggesting postoperative Sertoli cell recovery. Serum inhibin B may represent a potential short-term marker of endocrine recovery following orchiopexy, although further validation is required.