Objective To determine the clinical, physical, sperm and hormonal status during adulthood in cryptorchid patients operated on during childhood, and to assess these variables according to the age at surgery and preoperative testicular position. Patients and methods A letter was sent to all 890 patients > 18 years old who underwent surgery for cryptorchidism during childhood; 274 responded and were assessed using a sexual history, physical examination, pituitary axis study and sperm analysis. Data were complete for 251 patients (mean age 21 years, range 18±30); 196 had unilateral (25 anorchic) and 55 had bilateral cryptorchidism. Clinical, surgical and anatomopathological records at surgery during childhood were also reviewed. Results The mean (SD) age at orchidopexy was 6.4 (3.3) years and the mean age at assessment 21.1 (2.7) years. Semen samples generally showed abnormalities; 10 patients (4%) with bilateral and 57 (23%) with unilateral cryptorchidism had semen values within the normal range. There was no correlation between the sperm count and age at surgery for unilateral or bilateral cases (Spearman test). There was a signi®cant correlation (r = x 0.41) between the sperm count and level of folliclestimulating hormone (FSH). There were no signi®cant differences in the sperm count for patients with different testicular locations (ANOVA) or in those treated or untreated with human chorionic gonadotrophin (Student's t-test). The only signi®cant relationship (P < 0.001) was between the sperm count and unilateral or bilateral cryptorchidism. Conclusions The sperm quality of adults operated on for cryptorchidism during childhood is independent of the age at surgery or testicular location, but is in¯uenced by whether the cryptorchidism was unilateral or bilateral. FSH levels were negatively correlated with sperm density.

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This study measures whether there is a rise in the secretion of nocturnal prolactin and growth hormone (GH), during the delta phase of the first sleep cycle in children who are suffering from either complex partial or generalized tonic-clonic seizures. The findings are compared with those obtained in the control group of patients which is made up who suffer from pseudoseizures. There is a moderate but significant rise in the nocturnal prolactin plasma level in both types of infantile seizures. No significant difference was found in the GH.

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