Journal of Andrology Download to Citation Manager
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS

Published-Ahead-of-Print May 22, 2008, DOI:10.2164/jandrol.108.004945
Journal of Andrology, Vol. 29, No. 5, September/October 2008
Copyright © American Society of Andrology
DOI: 10.2164/jandrol.108.004945

This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
29/5/499    most recent
Author Manuscript (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Wang, M.-H.
Right arrow Articles by Baskin, L. S.
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Wang, M.-H.
Right arrow Articles by Baskin, L. S.

Review

Endocrine Disruptors, Genital Development, and Hypospadias

MING-HSIEN WANG AND LAURENCE S. BASKIN

From the UCSF Children's Hospital, Department of Urology, University of California, San Francisco, California.

Correspondence to: Laurence S. Baskin, MD, Chief, Pediatric Urology, Professor Urology and Pediatrics, UCSF Children's Hospital, University of California, San Francisco, 400 Parnassus Avenue A640, San Francisco, CA 94143 (e-mail: lbaskin{at}urology.ucsf.edu).



Abstract

Hypospadias is one of the most common congenital anomalies in the United States, occurring in approximately 1 in 125 live male births. Embryological studies have demonstrated that, depending on where the urethral development arrests, the meatal opening can be anywhere along the shaft of the penis or, in more severe forms, within the scrotum or in the perineum. Currently, the only available treatment is surgery. If left uncorrected, especially in its severe form, there is risk of infertility and psychological effects, such as avoidance of intimate relationships. The cause of hypospadias is largely unknown; however, current epidemiology and laboratory studies have shed new light into the etiology of hypospadias. With recent advancements in molecular biology and microarray technology, it appears that hypospadias is potentially related to disrupted gene expression. Specifically, some of the environmental chemicals are acting as antiandrogens and interfere directly with the action of testosterone-related gene expression. In this paper, we briefly review the normal development of male external genitalia and the prevalence and environmental risk factors related to hypospadias. In addition, we discuss some of the recent laboratory findings that contribute to our current understanding of this disease.







HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 2008 by The American Society of Andrology.