Familial Aggregation of Hypospadias in South Indian Population

Introduction: Hypospadias is one of the most common birth defects in male. However, its etiology remains largely unknown. Several authors have investigated the contribution of genetic and environmental factors to familial aggregation of hypospadias. We retrospectively analyzed our hospital data for boys who were operated for hypospadias at our center and had relatives with hypospadias. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the records of 234 children ( 18 yrs.) admitted for surgical correction of hypospadias at the department of pediatric urology in a single tertiary care centre of South India, from Jan 2007 to Dec 2017. Results: During the 10 year study period a total of 234 children (≤18 yrs.) were operated for hypospadias. Twenty one (9%) children reported on additional members of the family having hypospadias. Conclusions: Nine percent of the children operated for hypospadias reported on additional members of the family having hypospadias. These findings underline the heavy influence of genetic factors on hypospadias development. Genetic factors could be responsible for a certain percentage of cases of hypospadias.