Anorchia Overview
Learn About Anorchia
Anorchia is the absence of both testes at birth.
Vanishing testes - anorchia; Empty scrotum - anorchia; Scrotum - empty (anorchia)
An embryo develops early sex organs in the first several weeks of pregnancy. In some cases, early testes do not develop in males before 8 weeks into the pregnancy. These babies will be born with female sex organs.
In some cases, the testes disappear between 8 and 10 weeks. These babies will be born with ambiguous genitalia. This means the child will have parts of both male and female sex organs.
In some cases, the testes may disappear between 12 and 14 weeks. These babies will have a normal penis and scrotum. However, they will not have any testes. This is known as congenital anorchia. It is also called the "vanishing testes syndrome."
The cause is unknown. Genetic factors may be involved in some cases.
This condition should not be confused with bilateral undescended testes, in which the testes are located in the abdomen or groin rather than the scrotum.
Symptoms may include:
- Normal outside genitals before puberty
- Failure to start puberty at the correct time
Treatment includes:
- Artificial (prosthetic) testicle implants
- Male hormones (androgens)
- Psychological support
Margarett Shnorhavorian is an Urologist and a Pediatrics provider in Seattle, Washington. Dr. Shnorhavorian and is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Anorchia. Her top areas of expertise are Exstrophy of the Bladder, Intersex, Hypospadias, Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH), and Lithotripsy. Dr. Shnorhavorian is currently accepting new patients.
Patricia Fechner is a Pediatric Endocrinologist and an Endocrinologist in Seattle, Washington. Dr. Fechner and is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Anorchia. Her top areas of expertise are Intersex, Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH), Turner Syndrome, and Pediatric Growth Hormone Deficiency. Dr. Fechner is currently accepting new patients.
Maryam Ebadi is a Radiation Oncologist in Seattle, Washington. Dr. Ebadi and is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Anorchia. Her top areas of expertise are Vitamin D Deficiency, Liver Failure, Anorchia, and Hodgkin Lymphoma.
The outlook is good with treatment.
Complications include:
- Face, neck, or back abnormalities in some cases
- Infertility
- Psychological issues
Contact your health care provider if a male child:
- Appears to have extremely small or absent testicles
- Does not seem to be starting puberty during his early teens
Published Date: September 02, 2024
Published By: Kelly L. Stratton, MD, FACS, Associate Professor, Department of Urology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team. Editorial update 02/05/2025.
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Chan Y-M, Hannema SE. Differences of sex development. In: Melmed S, Auchus RJ, Goldfine AB, Rosen CJ, Kopp PA, eds. Williams Textbook of Endocrinology. 15th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2025:chap 21.
Yu RN, Diamond DA. Disorders of sexual development: etiology, evaluation, and medical management. In: Partin AW, Dmochowski RR, Kavoussi LR, Peters CA, eds. Campbell-Walsh-Wein Urology. 12th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 48.