Epididimitus & Testicular Cancer in RSS Kids???

[Guest guest]

Hi all,

I'm pretty much a lurker here. My son, Conor age 9, was diagnosed with RSS

two years ago and has been on genotropin for two years almost to the date.

He was extremely premature (16 weeks early) and was in the NICU for 5 months.

Due to prematurity he had lots of medical problems. He has ADHD and mild

Cerebral palsey. many of his medical/developmental isses were chalked up to

prematurity, but I suspected RSS when he was 3. The urological problems and

lack of growth were my biggest idicators that something else was going on.

He's had undescended testicle repair, 2 hypospadius repairs, 3 inguial

hernia repairs, bilateral uretal reimplantation. But no problems since he

turned

4.

Last weekend Conor was taken to the hospital due to an enlarged inflamed

testicle (the one that was undescended). His current dignosis is epididmitis

which is an infection of the epididimus -- the sac above the testicle that

takes sperm to the testes.(I think?) However, through the sonogram films the

urologist found some calcification on his testicle and will probably biopsy it.

The infection is still present. We go to the doctor again today and if the

infection has not receded enough Conor will be admitted for IV antibiotics,

another sono and mayne a biopsy.

I am looking for info on the incidence of testicular cancer related to RSS,

growth hormone, epecially at such a young age. If anyone knows anything,

please e-mail me back. Thanks.

, mom to Conor, Long Island NY

[Guest guest]

,

I've never heard anything about testicular cancer related to RSS, but

have heard that it's more likely in someone who's had undescended

testicles, but not at such a young age.

My son had 3 hypospadius surgeries, one hernia. After his first

surgery he had epidydimitis too. It went away, then had had to have

another surgery, was catheterized, and it came back, and it's been

back ever since. What I mean by that, he takes antibiotic, Furadantin,

once a day. If we try to take him off it, the infection comes back. If

he gets sick, is really constipated, it comes back.

it's good your son will be on IV antibiotics, it's what we should have

done, hopefully that will get rid of it for good.

If you have any questions about this, feel free to email me. I've

never found anyone else who's kid had this infection.

Cindy

[Guest guest]

There has been nothing in any published study relating an increased

risk of testicular cancer in relation to the use of growth hormone

in an RSS child.

However, in various studies I have read on RSS children, there are

vague discussions on the renal-urigenital abnormalities in RSS

children (primarily boys). Inguinal hernias, undescended testicles

and hypospadius/chordee. I remember one talking about the fact that

although this has not been studied, any boy with a history of the

above should be monitored for testicular volume (as they get older,

in terms of fertility) and monitored for testicular cancer. I can

not remember the studies, but I remember only because I was trying

to decide what to include, if any, in the Guidebook, since the

information wasn't actually " studied. "

Let me quick take a look at my database and see if I can find any of

my notes. OK, here is what I found. The following article (Bodin

Beck Jensen R, Chellakooty M, Vielwerth S, Vaag A, Larsen T, Greisen

G, Skakkebaek N, Scheike T, Juul A; Intrauterine growth retardation

and consequences for endocrine and cardiovascular diseases in adult

life: does insulin-like growth factor-I play a role? Horm

Research. 2003; 60(suppl 3):136-148.)

I have the following notes copied from this article:

" Gonadal function is likely to be affected by the intrauterine

millieu. In males, decreased testicular function has been linked to

low birth weight as illustrated by an increased risk of

cryptorchidism (47, 48) and hypospadius (49). … Several studies

found decreased testicular volumes in SGA boys and IUGR/RSS boys

(51, 52) -- FIND THESE STUDIES "

and then this note:

" In females, intrauterine growth restriction has negative effects on

uterine and ovarian size as determined by ultrasound and decreased

volume percentages of primordial and follicles in growth-retarded

fetuses compared with age-matched controls… (67) - increased risk

of ovarian cancer associated with IUGR; (55-58) - increased risk of

testicular cancer reported in boys with low birth weight.

Polycystic ovary syndrome was associated with low birth weight in

girls in some studies (44, 45) - NEED TO FIND THESE STUDIES

I do not have the studies that this single study quoted, and have it

on my To Do list..... So it appears that the problems are related

to children with IUGR and SGA as well.

Keep us posted. I hope that this information helps a bit.

> Hi all,

>

> I'm pretty much a lurker here. My son, Conor age 9, was

diagnosed with RSS

> two years ago and has been on genotropin for two years almost to

the date.

> He was extremely premature (16 weeks early) and was in the NICU

for 5 months.

> Due to prematurity he had lots of medical problems. He has ADHD

and mild

> Cerebral palsey. many of his medical/developmental isses were

chalked up to

> prematurity, but I suspected RSS when he was 3. The urological

problems and

> lack of growth were my biggest idicators that something else was

going on.

>

> He's had undescended testicle repair, 2 hypospadius repairs, 3

inguial

> hernia repairs, bilateral uretal reimplantation. But no problems

since he turned

> 4.

>

> Last weekend Conor was taken to the hospital due to an enlarged

inflamed

> testicle (the one that was undescended). His current dignosis is

epididmitis

> which is an infection of the epididimus -- the sac above the

testicle that

> takes sperm to the testes.(I think?) However, through the

sonogram films the

> urologist found some calcification on his testicle and will

probably biopsy it.

> The infection is still present. We go to the doctor again today

and if the

> infection has not receded enough Conor will be admitted for IV

antibiotics,

> another sono and mayne a biopsy.

>

> I am looking for info on the incidence of testicular cancer

related to RSS,

> growth hormone, epecially at such a young age. If anyone knows

anything,

> please e-mail me back. Thanks.

>

> , mom to Conor, Long Island NY

>

>

>