[Significance of the registration of testis localization in child health services for the avoidance of unnecessary orchiopexies].

The health records of 1816 11-year-old Dutch schoolboys were examined to assess the importance of these records for boys with an apparently non-scrotal testicle. Full records from birth onward existed for 58% of the boys; at least 4 examinations were recorded in 76% and no prior examinations in less than 4% of the boys. Orchidopexy had been performed in 2.9% of the boys; the records of 33 of the 53 boys with a history of orchidopexy showed intrascrotal position of both testicles at least once. The conclusion is that the Dutch youth health system possesses relevant records which should be consulted by practising physicians and surgeons before orchidopexy is considered.