Evaluation the pediatricians' level of information about diagnosis and management of undescended testicles

• Grant number: 21/10272-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: December 01, 2021
• End date: November 30, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Surgery
• Principal Investigator: Márcio Lopes Miranda
• Grantee: Larissa de Lima Monte
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Médicas (FCM). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Cryptorchidism is an unilateral or bilateral congenital anomaly in which testicles are found outside the scrotum, nevertheless they are located in the expected migration path. During the fetal development, testicles originate in the abdominal region, then migrating to the scrotum until the 35th pregnancy week, but some cases may present testicular descent until the child is 6-month-old. Such age is the ideal time for referral to a pediatric surgeon and, in cases of cryptorchidism, surgical intervention, orchiopexy, are recommended in patients between 6 and 12-months-old. Physical examination performed by a pediatrician confirms the diagnosis and, ideally, it is performed by a neonatologist in the birth room. However, when the diagnosis and medical management are not done in skillful time, testicles remain in an anomalous place which may result in serious complications, such as testicular cancer, infertility, testicular torsion, trauma, hernia, psychological effects, among other impacts. Furthermore, cryptorchidism may be associated with other congenital anomalies and sexual development disorders; therefore, early diagnosis is essential and requires that professionals who care for children are properly trained. At UNICAMP's pediatric urology and nephrology outpatient routine, frequently, it is possible to see patients who were referred at ages much older than the ideal for adequate treatment. Based on this, this study proposes to evaluate the pediatricians' level of information about diagnosis and management of undescended testis, therewith this study seeks to analyze likely hypotheses that suggest possible reasons why these children tend to have a late diagnosis. (AU)