Ultrasound diagnosis of fetal hypospadias: Accuracy and outcomes

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess the positive predictive value of a prenatal ultrasound diagnosis of hypospadias when compared with postnatal diagnosis based on physical exam. We retrospectively identified all pregnant women between 2004 and 2014 who were either referred to our fetal care center carrying a fetus with an ultrasound diagnosis of possible hypospadias or who had a new diagnosis of hypospadias after imaging in our center. A total of 32 cases of possible hypospadias were identified, with our fetal center ultrasound suggesting hypospadias in 25 of the 32 cases (78%). Of the 25 cases, 18 infants were confirmed to have hypospadias on postnatal physical exam (Table), reflecting a positive predictive value of 72%. Twenty-one of twenty-five cases with suggested hypospadias on ultrasound were found to have either hypospadias or another penile anomaly on postnatal physical exam, reflecting a positive predictive value for any genital anomaly of 84%. Infants with confirmed hypospadias often had several associated GU anomalies on postnatal clinical exam. Our single center experience with the fetal ultrasound diagnosis of hypospadias demonstrates a high positive predictive value for a penile anomaly (21/25, 84%), and a moderately high positive predictive value for the specific diagnosis of hypospadias (18/25, 72%) when compared with the postnatal diagnosis.