The other name bilateral anorchia is “vanishing testes syndrome”. It is thought that during the course of embryonic life the testicular tissue was present, but later during the pregnancy it was resorbed.
The scrotum is empty, but contrary to cryptorchidism where the testicles can be found in the inguinal canal, with bilateral anorchia the testicles are missing. Injection of human chorionic gonadotropin does not lead to a rise in testosterone hormone, because there is no testicular tissue in the body. With cryptorchidism this test leads to a marked testosterone level increase.
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