Hypospadias

What is it?

Hypospadias is a defect in which urine passes from an opening sited not at the tip of the penis but from somewhere on the under surface of the shaft. This is a common birth defect and occurs in about 1 of 250 male births.There are different degrees of hypospadias - the minor ones are those where the opening is closer the tip, and the severe ones are those where the opening is close to the scrotum or even dividing it. The abnormality of hypospadias has three components: -The opening is away from the tip The penis may be curved downward (called chordee) and this is readily apparent during erection. The chordee is more prominent in the more severe varieties of hypospadias The prepuce, or the foreskin, is always deficient on the under surface giving the appearance of a hood when the penis is viewed sideways

What are the complications?

Hypospadias is associated with several problems. The urine stream, instead of being directed forwards is usually deflected towards the feet so that these boys commonly soil their clothes and are unable to pass urine in a standing position. This, naturally, is a serious concern when the children enter school.A reasonably straight penis is essential for normal sexual intercourse. Although this may not be an immediate concern in the child, this is an important reason for these children to have their deformity corrected surgically.