Preoperative treatment with human chorionic gonadotropin in infancy decreases the severity of proximal hypospadias and chordee.

PURPOSE

We determined whether human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) pretreatment of severe proximal penoscrotal hypospadias and chordee causes sufficient penile shaft or skin enlargement to enhance surgical repair and improve patient outcome.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 12 boys 6 to 12 months old with proximal hypospadias and severe chordee received a course of HCG for 5 weeks immediately preceding hypospadias repair.

RESULTS

Chordee decreased and penile length increased in all cases (mean increase 94%). Penile length gain was disproportional. Most of the increase in length was proximal to the urethral meatus, which moved the meatus distally an average of 11.4 mm. (range 6.0 to 19.0), producing a mean increase of 586% in the distance between the penoscrotal junction and meatus. In contrast, there was no statistically significant increase in penile shaft length distal to the urethral meatus. Surgical treatment was facilitated by HCG pretreatment. Three meatal based repairs were performed, only 1 urethral fistula developed and chordee was corrected by penile degloving only in 8 cases.

CONCLUSIONS

HCG pretreatment in infancy produces disproportional penile enlargement, which advances the meatus distally to decrease the severity of hypospadias and chordee. This response pattern simplifies the required surgical procedure and appears to improve surgical results. It may benefit select patients, and provide insights into the endocrinopathy of hypospadias and the embryopathy of the hypospadias-chordee complex.