anorchia

9.9

A condition where one and sometimes both testicles are missing from birth or lost later

noun
/ˌænˈɔrkiə/

Specialized

: anorquia

The patient was diagnosed with anorchia after medical imaging showed an absence of testes.

Examples

Congenital anorchia is a rare condition detected soon after birth.
Advances in hormone therapy help individuals affected by anorchia lead healthy lives.
The doctor diagnosed him with anorchia after a thorough examination.
He was born with anorchia and required hormone therapy.
Congenital anorchia is a rare condition detected soon after birth.
The patient was diagnosed with anorchia after medical imaging showed an absence of testes.
He was born with anorchia and required hormone therapy.

Synonyms

anorchism

vsanorchia

Specialized

9.9

One or both testicles are missing

is the same medical condition but uses an alternative term form

anorchidism

vsanorchia

Specialized

9.9

A condition in which one or both testicles are missing

is the same medical condition but is an alternate term form

Surface Forms

anorchia singular

anorchias plural

Morphology

anorchia = an + orch + ia

Although the negative prefix 'an-' is recognizable, the root element ('orch-') is not a productive standalone English word for most learners, so the overall medical meaning ('absence of testes') cannot be reliably derived from its parts.

Etymology

Anorchia comes from Greek parts a- meaning 'without' and orchis meaning 'testicle'. It even shares the same root as the flower orchid, because those bulbs look like testicles, so anorchia means 'without testicles' and is used for the medical condition when one or both testes are missing.