Table of Contents
What guides descent of testes?
Before transabdominal migration of the testes, the testes develop on the anteromedial surface of the mesonephros in the urogenital ridge, which is anchored in position by the cranial suspensory ligament (CSL) cranially and the genitoinguinal ligament or gubernaculum caudally (2).
What is descent of testes?
Testicular descent. Testicular descent is the result of hormonal and mechanical actions that are not fully understood. Three steps are recognized: nephric displacement, transabdominal descent, and inguinal descent. In nephric displacement, the gonad detaches from the metanephros in the seventh week of gestation.
What is responsible for testicular descent?
Each of the two phases of testis descent is regulated by a hormone secreted by Leydig cells: INSL3 regulates the transabdominal phase, whereas testosterone controls the inguinoscrotal phase [6]. Disrupted production of either hormone is responsible for a disorder called cryptorchidism, or undescended testis.
What is a gubernaculum?
The gubernaculum (from the Latin for helm, or something that guides), a fetal ligament attached to the caudal epididymis and testis and the bottom of the scrotum guides the descent of the testes into the scrotum; From: Small Animal Surgery Secrets (Second Edition), 2004.
What does it mean when a man’s balls hang low?
Most men notice that their scrotum, the sack of skin that holds the testicles, starts to sag as they get older. This process might start as early as your teenage years. Saggy testicles are a natural part of aging, and don’t necessarily indicate that there’s anything wrong with your scrotum or your testicles.
What week do the testes descend?
Conclusion: All testes had descended to the scrotum by 33 weeks of gestation, but there was considerable variation in position from 27 weeks.
What age should testes descend?
Most of the time, a boy’s testicles descend by the time he is 9 months old. Undescended testicles are common in infants who are born early. The problem occurs less in full-term infants. Some babies have a condition called retractile testes and the health care provider may not be able to find the testicles.
What happens if the testes fail to descend?
If the testicles don’t drop into the scrotum, they may not function normally and produce healthy sperm. This can lead to infertility later in life. Males born with undescended testicles also have a higher risk of testicular cancer in adulthood.
What happens to gubernaculum in males?
The gubernaculum remains the key structure, undergoing the ‘swelling reaction’ in the transabdominal phase, and actively migrating out of the abdominal wall to the scrotum in the inguinoscrotal phase.
What is the role of Gubernaculum testis?
A gelatinous tissue, the gubernaculum, pulls the testes through the abdomen, through the inguinal canal in the groin, and down into the scrotum. The pulling action occurs as the gubernaculum is stimulated first to grow and then to shrink.
At what age is descent of the testes complete?
In many cases, the testes descend on their own into the scrotum by age 3 months. In most cases, the testes pass down by age 6 months without any treatment. In other cases, treatment may be needed.