Hypospadias: Causes, Symptoms, Risk Factors and Diagnosis

Hypospadias is a congenital condition in which the urethra enters the penis at its base rather than its tip. The urethra is the tube that enables urine to exit the body from the bladder.

Although common, hypospadias has no adverse effects on how you should care for your unborn child. Surgery often restores the original appearance of your child's penis. With the right treatment, the majority of hypospadias-affected males may urinate and reproduce normally.

Causes Of Hypospadias

The condition of congenital hypospadias is present at birth. In reaction to specific hormones, the foreskin and urethra of a male fetus form as the penis grows. When these hormones don't work as they should, the urethra develops incorrectly, which causes hypospadias.

Usually, there is no recognized etiology for hypospadias. Although environmental factors could sometimes be significant, hypospadias can occasionally be inherited.

Symptoms Of Hypospadias

Instead of being towards the apex of the penis, the urethra's entrance is found in the hypospadias, which is at the bottom of the penis. Frequently, the urethral entry is found inside the penile head. Less frequently, the entrance can be situated near the base of the penis or in the center. The hole rarely appears in or beneath the scrotum.

Some of the signs and symptoms of hypospadias include:

• The urethra's opening is anywhere other than the penile tip
• The foreskin only covers the top half of the penis, hence the penis has a chordee, which is a downward curve.
• Unusual splashing while urination

Also Read: Barrett's Esophagus: Causes, Symptoms, Risk Factors, Diagnosis, Treatment and Complications

Risk Factors Of Hypospadias

Although the cause of hypospadias is frequently unknown, the following things could be:

• Family background. Babies who have a family history of hypospadias are more prone to experience this problem.
• Genetics. Certain gene mutations may interfere with the hormones that support the development of the male genitalia.
• Mother is over 35 years of age. According to certain research, there may be an increased chance of hypospadias in male newborns born to moms older than 35.
• Exposure to particulate pollutants when pregnant. There is some evidence that suggests there may be a link between hypospadias and a mother's exposure to particular hormones or substances, such as industrial pollutants or pesticides, but additional studies are needed to confirm this.

Diagnosis Of Hypospadias

Your child's pediatrician can detect hypospadias based on a physical examination. Most likely, he or she would advise you to seek additional evaluation from a pediatric urologist, a surgeon who specializes in genital and urinary problems in children. Professional therapy can be provided by medical facilities with trained teams, and they can also help you balance your options.

If the urethral entrance is unusual and the testicles are not palpable, the genitalia may be difficult to identify as clearly male or female (ambiguous genitalia). An evaluation by a multidisciplinary team is suggested in this case.

Treatment Of Hypospadias 

For certain very mild cases of hypospadias, surgery is not necessary. Surgery is often needed as part of the treatment to move the urethral opening and, if necessary, straighten the penile shaft. Surgery is often done when a baby is between six and twelve months old.

If the penis seems abnormal, circumcision should not be performed. After diagnosing hypospadias, the circumcision should be completed. In both cases, it is recommended to consult a pediatric urologist.

Procedure For the vast majority of hypospadias cases, only one outpatient operation is necessary. One or more operations may be required to address the problem with specific types of hypospadias.

When the urethral entrance is close to the base of the penis, the surgeon may need to use tissue grafts from the foreskin or the inside of the mouth to reconstruct the urine channel in the proper location and treat hypospadias.

Surgery often has a high success rate. After surgery, boys frequently have normal urination and reproduction, and the penis typically seems normal.

Rarely, a fistula (hole) develops along the underside of the penis, allowing urine to flow there where the new urinary route was created. Scarring and wound healing are extremely uncommon problems. Additional surgery might be required to address these problems.

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Complications Of Hypospadias

If hypospadias is not addressed, the following complications may occur:

• Difficulties with learning to use the bathroom
• Abnormalities in the appearance of the penis
• Inadequate ejaculation
• Irregular penile curvature during an erection

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