Q54.2: Hypospadias, penoscrotal

The urethra opens out below the penis.

The external male genitals include the penis and the testicles. In the penis there is the urethra and a lot of erectile tissue. When the erectile tissue fills with blood, the penis becomes erect. At the front end of the penis is the glans. The glans is normally covered by a protective piece of skin. This skin is known as the foreskin. In the middle of the glans, the penis has an opening. This opening usually forms the outer ending of the urethra. The testicles are located outside the body, and are covered by skin. That is the scrotum.

While developing in the womb, many different types of tissue develop in the body. The organs and body parts develop out of the various types of tissue.

In the womb, the urethra develops out of a groove which gradually closes. If the groove does not transform to fully become a tube, defects can occur. Because of a defect, the urethra opens out in the scrotum area.

When this type of urethra defect occurs, there will only be foreskin on the upper side of the penis. In cases like these, the foreskin sits like a hood on the upper side of the glans. In addition, the penis may be crooked. There may also be problems with passing water or ejaculating.