Abstract
BackgroundHypospadias is a congenital displacement of the urethral meatus in male newborns, being either an isolated defect at birth or a sign of sexual development disorders. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence rate of hypospadias in different Districts of Italy, in order to make a comparison with other countries all over the world.MethodsWe reviewed all the newborns file records (years 2001–2004) in 15 Italian Hospitals.ResultsWe found an overall hypospadias prevalence rate of 3.066 ± 0.99 per 1000 live births (82.48% mild hypospadias, 17.52% moderate-severe). In newborns Small for Gestational Age (birthweight < 10th percentile) of any gestational age the prevalence rate of hypospadias was 6.25 per 1000 live births. Performing multivariate logistic regression analysis for different degrees of hypospadias according to severity, being born SGA remained the only risk factor for moderate-severe hypospadias (p = 0.00898) but not for mild forms (p > 0.1).ConclusionIn our sample the prevalence of hypospadias results as high as reported in previous European and American studies (3–4 per 1000 live births). Pathogenesis of isolated hypospadias is multifactorial (genetic, endocrine and environmental factors): however, the prevalence rate of hypospadias is higher in infants born small for gestational age than in newborns with normal birth weight.
Highlights
Hypospadias is a congenital displacement of the urethral meatus in male newborns, being either an isolated defect at birth or a sign of sexual development disorders
Hypospadias is a congenital displacement of the urethral meatus in male newborns, often associated to an incomplete development of the foreskin and abnormal penile curvature
According to the Chicago Consensus Conference, severe isolated hypospadias can be classified either into among 46, XY Disorders of Sexual Differentiation ("Disorders in androgen synthesis or action") when it is supposed to be due to a complex disorders as 5α reductase deficiency or defects in androgen action, or classified into the C group ("Other"), when it is considered an isolated embryological defect [2]
Summary
Hypospadias is a congenital displacement of the urethral meatus in male newborns, being either an isolated defect at birth or a sign of sexual development disorders. Hypospadias is a congenital displacement of the urethral meatus in male newborns, often associated to an incomplete development of the foreskin (prepuce) and abnormal penile curvature (recurvatum or hypospadias sine hypospadias). According to the exact localization of the meatus, hypospadias is named glandular or coronal (mild), penile (moderate), scrotal and perineal (severe). While most cases of mild forms are usually an isolated defect, the severe ones may be a symptom of a disorder of sexual differentiation [1]. Since they suffer from urological disorders and may have subfertility
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