Hypospadias

Hypospadias

Signs and Symptoms
Diagnosis
Treatment

Signs and Symptoms

Hypospadias are deformities of the penis resulting from incomplete development of the urethra, the tube that carries urine from the bladder to the penis. It can occur in many different ways, including:

• Opening of the urethra below the tip on the bottom side of the penis
• Abnormal appearance of the glans penis (the tip)
• Incomplete foreskin in which the foreskin extends only around the top of the penis
• Curvature of the penis during an erection (called chordee)
• Buried penis
• Abnormal position of scrotum with respect to penis

This condition is second only to undescended testes as a congenital abnormality affecting a boy's genitalia. It occurs in 1 in 250 to 300 males born in the United States. There is a family tendency towards hypospadias, with an increased incidence noted in boys whose father or brothers have hypospadias. Other than inherited cases, the cause usually isn't known.

Problems resulting from hypospadias include deviation of the urinary stream, cosmetic and psychological considerations and potential adverse effect on sexual functioning. The best time to repair hypospadias is between the ages of 6 to 15 months, when the psychological effects of genital surgery are minimal. At UCSF Children's Hospital, hypospadias repair is done exclusively on an outpatient basis, minimizing separation of the child from parents and reducing the cost of the procedure.

Reviewed by health care specialists at UCSF Children's Hospital.
Last updated May 15, 2007