Testicles are absent from the scrotum of a 1-year- old male admitted to the pediatric clinic. The pediatrician examined the infant and palpated the testes in the inguinal canal. Which of the following terms is used to describe this condition?

Cryptorchism, often called an undescended testis, is the result of incomplete migration of the gonad from the abdomen to a location in the scrotum where it is exposed to temperatures slightly lower than core body temperature. This is important for spermatogenesis and testicular function. A testis that cannot be surgically relocated into the scrotum is usually removed because it would otherwise be prone to develop testicular cancer.