Hormonal control of testicular descent and the cause of cryptorchidism

Abstract

This paper briefly reviews the literature on testicular descent and presents new observations from the authors’ laboratory which suggest new ways of looking at old problems.There is now good evidence that testicular descent occurs in two morphologically and hormonally distinct phases. Relative ‘transabdominal migration’ of the testis compared with the ovary occurs at 10-15 weeks of gestation in the human and ‘inguinoscrotal’ migration occurs at 26-35 weeks of gestation. We have proposed previously that the first phase is controlled by Mullerian inhibiting substance although this remains controversial. The second phase is androgen dependent and is possibly mediated indirectly through the rele..