Prevalence and Clinical Anatomic Characteristics of Cryptorchidism in Schools in the City of Conakry

Abstract

Objective: To report the prevalence, anatomic and clinical characteristics of cryptorchidism in schools in the city of Conakry. Material and Methods: We carried out a 6-month cross-sectional study which took place in 32 public and private general education establishments in the city of Conakry. Each student boy was interviewed and examined; some information was collected from parents over the phone. Results: The prevalence of cryptorchidism was 3.6%. It was higher among children of mothers who were not in school, and among those who attended public institutions. The average age of students with cryptorchidism was 9.84 ± 2.33 years, with extremes of 4 and 17 years. 85% of these pupils were born in a care structure (CHU, municipal hospital, health center). Cryptorchidism sat on the right in 64 cases (37.4%), on the left in 44 cases (25.7%), it was bilateral in 63 cases (36.9%). The testicle was palpable at the inguinal level in 77 cases or 45% of the cases. Conclusion: Many school children have cryptorchidism at advanced ages, thus exposing them to the risk of complications (infertility and malignant degeneration of the testicle). Raising awareness among the various players could reverse this trend.