Nuwayyir Abdullah Alqasimi, Lujain Hatim Aljohani, Naif Mohammed Alzahrani, Faisal Bader Almuqbil, Hesham Naser Alotaibi, Moayad Yasser Alamoudi, Ali Abdulaziz Alyami, Ahmad Shammari, Yasser Jamalalail, Fayez Al Modhen, Tariq Burki
In our center, orchidopexy timing is significantly delayed, and the hospital-based proportion of UDT represents a substantial clinical burden. In our center, delays are associated with unstructured referral pathways and inadequate neonatal screening. Standardizing referrals and implementing structured neonatal screening are crucial.
BACKGROUND: Undescended testis (UDT) is a congenital anomaly. Early orchidopexy preserves fertility and reduces the risk of malignancy. However, delays in diagnosis and surgeries remain common in Saudi Arabia.
OBJECTIVES: Our study aims to determine the hospital-based proportion of UDT at our facility and factors associated with delayed orchidopexy in patients with a diagnosis or suspicion of UDT. This hospital-based study does not estimate population-level incidence or prevalence.
METHODOLOGY: This study included children (0-14 years) with cryptorchidism (2018-2023). SPSS v25 analyzed data from the hospital's database, with descriptive statistics, Chi-square tests, t-tests, and multivariate logistic regression (P < 0.05).
RESULTS: Multivariate analysis identified that referrals from pediatric physicians had an odds ratio (OR) of 2.512 (P = 0.041) for delayed surgery, while normal testis at birth reduced the OR 0.184 (P = 0.005).
CONCLUSION: In our center, orchidopexy timing is significantly delayed, and the hospital-based proportion of UDT represents a substantial clinical burden. In our center, delays are associated with unstructured referral pathways and inadequate neonatal screening. Standardizing referrals and implementing structured neonatal screening are crucial.