Prevalence of hypospadias in Italy according to severity, gestational age and birthweight: an epidemiological study

doi:10.1186/1824-7288-35-18

Italian Journal of Pediatrics

Volume 35

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Ghirri P
Scaramuzzo RT
Bertelloni S
Pardi D
Celandroni A
Cocchi G
Danieli R
De Santis L
Di Stefano MC
Gerola O
Giuffrè M
Gragnani GS
Magnani C
Meossi C
Merusi I
Sabatino G
Tumini S
Corsello G
Boldrini A

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Ghirri P
Scaramuzzo RT
Bertelloni S
Pardi D
Celandroni A
Cocchi G
Danieli R
De Santis L
Di Stefano MC
Gerola O
Giuffrè M
Gragnani GS
Magnani C
Meossi C
Merusi I
Sabatino G
Tumini S
Corsello G
Boldrini A
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Research

Prevalence of hypospadias in Italy according to severity, gestational age and birthweight: an epidemiological study

Paolo Ghirri¹^* , Rosa T Scaramuzzo¹ , Silvano Bertelloni² , Daniela Pardi³ , Amerigo Celandroni⁴ , Guido Cocchi⁵ , Roberto Danieli⁶ , Luisa De Santis⁷ , Maria C Di Stefano⁸ , Orietta Gerola⁹ , Mario Giuffrè¹⁰ , Giuseppe S Gragnani¹¹ , Cinzia Magnani¹² , Cristiano Meossi¹³ , Ilaria Merusi¹⁴ , Giuseppe Sabatino¹⁵ , Stefano Tumini¹⁵ , Giovanni Corsello¹⁰ and Antonio Boldrini¹

¹Department of Paediatrics, Division of Neonatology and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit – "S. Chiara" Hospital, University of Pisa, Italy

²Department of Paediatrics, Section of Adolescent Medicine Unit – "S. Chiara" Hospital, University of Pisa, Italy

³Division of Pediatrics, "G. Pasquinucci" Paediatric Hospital, Massa

⁴Division of Pediatrics, – "F. Lotti" Hospital of Pontedera, Italy

⁵Division of Pediatrics – University of Bologna, Italy

⁶Division of Pediatrics, Hospital of Livorno, Italy

⁷Division of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine – "S. Anna" Hospital, University of Torino, Italy

⁸NICU – "Umberto I" Hospital, Nocera Inferiore, Italy

⁹Division of Pediatrics – IRCCS "S. Matteo" Hospital, University of Pavia, Italy

¹⁰Division of Pediatrics – University of Palermo, Italy

¹¹Division of Pediatrics, Bassa Val di Cecina Hospital

¹²Division of Neonatology – University of Parma, Italy

¹³Division of Pediatrics, "Campo di Marte" Hospital, Lucca, Italy

¹⁴Division of Pediatrics, Versilia Hospital, Italy

¹⁵NICU and Division of Pediatrics – University "G. D'Annunzio", Chieti, Italy

author email corresponding author email* Contributed equally

Italian Journal of Pediatrics 2009, 35:18doi:10.1186/1824-7288-35-18


Published:	27 June 2009

Abstract

Background

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. 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.

Methods

We reviewed all the newborns file records (years 2001–2004) in 15 Italian Hospitals.

Results

We 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 < 10^thpercentile) 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).

Conclusion

In 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.