Hypospadias is a birth abnormality in which the opening of the urethra is not at the tip of the penis. Instead, it is either somewhere along the penis or on the scrotum.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), hypospadias is one of the most common Trusted Source birth abnormalities. Estimates suggest that hypospadias affects about 1 in every 200 babies.
A baby usually receives treatment for hypospadias when they are 6–12 months old. However, treatment is a possibility for children of any age and adults.
Read on to learn more about hypospadias, including its causes, types, and treatment.
What is hypospadias?
Hypospadias is a birth abnormality that causes the urethra to develop in the wrong place while a baby is in the womb. The urethra is the tube that carries urine from the bladder to outside the body. The opening of the urethra typically develops on the tip of the penis.
However, in a baby with hypospadias, the opening of the urethra may form anywhere along the underside of the penis. In some cases, it appears on the scrotum.
If the urethra is in the wrong place, the person may have trouble urinating while standing up. They may also experience difficulty with sexual activity in later life.
Although hypospadias mainly occurs in male babies, it can sometimes affect females. A 2019 case report Trusted Source notes that female hypospadias is so rare that many textbooks do not recognize it.
Types of hypospadias
The location of the urethra defines the type of hypospadias. The types Trusted Source of hypospadias are:
- Glanular or subcoronal: In this form of hypospadias, the urethral opening develops near the head of the penis.
- Distal or midshaft: In distal hypospadias, the urethral opening appears along the shaft of the penis.
- Proximal or penoscrotal: Proximal hypospadias is when the urethral opening develops between the base of the penile shaft and the scrotum.
A 2021 article reports that about 50% of hypospadias cases are glanular, 30% are distal, and 20% are proximal.
Doctors consider glanular and distal hypospadias cases to be mild. Proximal hypospadias is a more severe Trusted Source and complex form.
Symptoms of hypospadias
The main symptom of hypospadias is an incorrectly placed urethra. Hypospadias can also produce several symptoms, such as:
- chordee, which is when the penis curves slightly downward
- an incompletely formed foreskin, where the foreskin forms on the back of the penis but not the whole way around it
- trouble with urination, as urine can spray downward or to the sides
- an undescended testicle
