Hypospadias prevalence shows wide geographic variation, according to an online report in the Journal of Pediatric Urology.
Based on a systematic literature review, Alexander Springer, MD, of the Medical University of Vienna in Austria, and colleagues found that the mean prevalence of hypospadias, per 10,000 live births, was 19.9 in Europe, 34.2 in North America, 5.2 in South America, 0.6–69 in Asia, 5.9 in Africa, and 17.1–34.8 in Australia. The researchers said the true prevalence of hypospadias and trends were difficult to estimate. No epidemiologic data were available from many parts of the world, they noted.
