Epidemiology of hypospadias in Europe: a registry-based study.

Jorieke E H Bergman,Mary O’Mahony,Hermien E K De Walle,Judit Béres,Maria Loane,Hanitra Randrianaivo,Paula Braz,Martine Vrijheid,Carmel Mullaney,Virginia Delaney,Vera Nelen,Kari Klungsøyr,Catherine Rounding,Amanda J Neville,Carmen Martos,Anna Pierini,David Tucker,Babak Khoshnood,Diana Wellesley,Marian K Bakker,Miriam Gatt,Marie‐Claude Addor ,Natalya Zymak‐Zakutnia ,Anke Rißmann ,Annette Queißer‐Luft ,Jls Budd ,Rien J.m Nijman ,Ingeborg Barišić

doi:10.1007/s00345-015-1507-6

Abstract

BackgroundHypospadias is a common congenital malformation. The prevalence of hypospadias has a large geographical variation, and recent studies have reported both increasing and decreasing temporal trends. It is unclear whether hypospadias prevalence is associated with maternal age.AimTo analyze the prevalence and trends of total hypospadias, isolated hypospadias, hypospadias with multiple congenital anomalies, hypospadias with a known cause, and hypospadias severity subtypes in Europe over a 10-year period and to investigate whether maternal age is associated with hypospadias.MethodsWe included all children with hypospadias born from 2001 to 2010 who were registered in 23 EUROCAT registries. Information on the total number of births and maternal age distribution for the registry population was also provided. We analyzed the total prevalence of hypospadias and relative risks by maternal age.ResultsFrom 2001 to 2010, 10,929 hypospadias cases were registered in 5,871,855 births, yielding a total prevalence of 18.61 per 10,000 births. Prevalence varied considerably between different registries, probably due to differences in ascertainment of hypospadias cases. No significant temporal trends were observed with the exceptions of an increasing trend for anterior and posterior hypospadias and a decreasing trend for unspecified hypospadias. After adjusting for registry effects, maternal age was not significantly associated with hypospadias.ConclusionsTotal hypospadias prevalence was stable in 23 EUROCAT registries from 2001 to 2010 and was not significantly influenced by maternal age.

Highlights

Hypospadias is one of the most common congenital malformations
Total hypospadias prevalence was stable in 23 EUROCAT registries from 2001 to 2010 and was not significantly influenced by maternal age
In this large European study, with more than 5.8 million births covered by 23 EUROCAT registries, we found a total hypospadias prevalence of 18.61 per 10,000 births that was stable from 2001 to 2010

Summary

Introduction

Hypospadias is one of the most common congenital malformations. Hypospadias is often classified into anterior hypospadias: the urethral opening is slightly displaced but still in the glandular or subcoronal region; middle hypospadias: the urethra opens into the ventral surface of the penis; and posterior hypospadias: the urethral opening is located in the penoscrotal junction, scrotum, or perineum [1]. While several environmental exposures and maternal factors have been studied, only low birth weight, maternal hypertension, pre-eclampsia, and maternal intrauterine diethylstilbestrol exposure have been consistently associated with hypospadias [5]. The prevalence of hypospadias has a large geographical variation, and recent studies have reported both increasing and decreasing temporal trends. It is unclear whether hypospadias prevalence is associated with maternal age. Aim To analyze the prevalence and trends of total hypospadias, isolated hypospadias, hypospadias with multiple congenital anomalies, hypospadias with a known cause, and hypospadias severity subtypes in Europe over a 10-year period and to investigate whether maternal age is associated with hypospadias. We analyzed the total prevalence of hypospadias and relative risks by maternal age

Methods

Results

Conclusion