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Hypospadias

Pronounced: hi-poe-spa-dee-us

by Deanna M. Neff, MPH

Home | Health Information Center | Disease, Condition, & Injury Fact Sheets | Article

Definition

Hypospadias is a problem with how the penis develops before birth. The meatus is the opening that urine passes through. It should be on the tip of the penis. When the opening develops on the underside of the penis it is called hypospadias.

Male Reproductive System

Causes

Hypospadias develops before a child is born. The exact cause is not known.

Risk Factors

Things that increase the chance of a baby having hypospadias are:

Family history of hypospadias
Mother being older or having in vitro fertilization
Mother is exposed to harmful items in environment during pregnancy
Fetus has growth problems during the pregnancy

Symptoms

The abnormal location of opening will be visible. Other symptoms may include:

Curve of the penis—called chordee
Abnormal spray when passing urine
Foreskin only covers part of the head of the penis

Diagnosis

The doctor can see hypospadias during a physical exam. It is often diagnosed at birth.

Treatment

Mild hypospadias may not need treatment. Some can cause problems passing urine. A surgery may then be done. The goals of surgery are to:

Reconstruct the opening of the urethra
Straighten a curved penis

Skin from the foreskin or inside of the mouth may be used to rebuild the area.

Prevention

The cause of hypospadias is not clear so there are no clear steps to prevent it.

RESOURCES:

Healthy Children—American Academy of Pediatrics
https://www.healthychildren.org

Urology Care Foundation
http://www.urologyhealth.org

CANADIAN RESOURCES:

Canadian Urological Association
http://www.cua.org

Health Canada
https://www.canada.ca

References:

Hypospadias. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: https://www.dynamed.com/condition/hypospadias. Accessed September 2, 2020.

Hypospadias: a birth defect of the penis. Healthy Children—Academy of Pediatrics website. Available at: https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/genitourinary-tract/Pages/hypospadias-a-birth-defect-of-the-penis.aspx. Accessed September 2, 2020.

Marrocco G, Grammatico P, Vallasciani S, et al. Environmental, parental and gestational factors that influence the occurrence of hypospadias in male patients. J Pediatr Urol. 2015 Feb;11(1):12-99

Tekgul S, Dogan HS, Kocvara R, et al; European Society for Paediatric Urology and European Association of Urology (ESPU/EAU). Guidelines on Paediatric Urology. EAU 2017 Mar.

Last reviewed September 2020 by EBSCO Medical Review Board Adrienne Carmack, MD
Last Updated: 9/3/2020

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