A rare variant of inguinal hernia: Cryptorchid testis at the age of 50 years. Etiopathogenicity, prognosis and management

Introduction: Cryptorchidism is characterized by the extra-scrotal position of the testis. The surgical community has little to no knowledge of cryptorchid testis in adults apart from of pediatric surgeons. Therefore, we sought to describe this unusual cause of inguinal hernia.

Presentation of case: A 50-year-old man was referred with a inguinal hernia. Diagnosis of cryptorchidism was made during surgery, as the patient underwent an operation for repair of his left inguinal hernia. The testicle was non-viable and a left testicle was resected. Histopathology report confirmed a atrophic testis without testicular germ cell tumor (TGCT).

Discussion: This is an extremely rare case of cryptorchidism revealed in an adult. The patient remained asymptomatic for 50 years. Most studies have concluded that there is a direct correlation between how long the testis was subjected to a cryptorchid position and TGCT incidence. The recommended age of surgical correction is before the age of 2 years. In our case, we did not find correlation between the time of surgery and risk of TGCT. Histopathology report confirmed the presence of leydig cells, seminiferous tubule and Sertoli cells without TGCT. Very little is known about link between cryptorchidism and TGCT. The correct diagnosis of inguinal hernia is usually made during an inguinal hernia repair.

Conclusion: The surgeon must always be alert to the possibility of cryptorchid testis during a surgical exploration of an inguinal hernia. In suspected cases, laparoscopy ultrasonographic, CT scan and laparoscopy evaluation may be helpful in diagnosing of this atypical inguinal hernia before surgery.