The use of computerized tomography scanning to localize the impalpable testis.

To determine the usefulness of computerized tomography scanning in the preoperative localization of the impalpable undescended testis 5 patients with 8 impalpable testes were studied. In 2 patients the scan correctly outlined 3 impalpable testes inside the internal inguinal ring, in 2 patients the scan correctly localized 4 impalpable testes at or just inside the external inguinal ring and in 1 patient the scan failed to demonstrate a testis, a finding corroborated at an operation. These results suggest that computerized tomography scanning appears to be an effective, simple and less hazardous method to localize impalpable undescended testes than other currently available techniques.