OBJECTIVE

Hypospadias represents the most frequent male congenital malformation in children, with a prevalence of 1 in 200-300 new born or 4-6 in 1000 male new born. Genetic and environmental factors play a strong role on developing this virilization defect acting as endocrinal disruptors (ED). The objective of the present study was to evaluate the environmental factors that may have influenced the development oh hypospadias in children treated at the Maternal and Child University Hospital od Las Palmas of Gran Canaria Island during the years 2012-2015.

METHODS

The present study represents a retrospective analysis of patients treated for hypospadias in the Maternal-Paediatric University Hospital of Las Palmas of Gran Canaria during 4 years (2012 -2015) by the use of medical records and telephone survey to families' patients. To perform the statistical analysis of the data, the SPSS program was used in version 15.0. The level of statistical significance was established for an error α = 0.05. The chi-square test and Fisher's correction were applied if necessary to test the associations between the qualitative variables.

RESULTS

From 2012 to 2015, 128 patients were treated; we could only follow 116 patients. If we analyse patients' distribution throught those years we can resume that 33% of them were treated in 2012, 23% in 2013, 24% in 2014 and 20% in 2015. We analyse the study background of both parents: 45.5% of mothers had primary studies, 37.5% had secundary studies, 15.2% had university studies and 1.8% were students; 54.3% of fathers had primary studies, 32.4% had secundary studies and 13.3% had university studies. We did not found any statistically significant diference between the place of residence and the study background both in mothers (p=0,262) and fathers (p=0,052). Within all the patients followed, 78 had a clinical history of exposition to ED as a direct family background.

CONCLUSIONS

The chronical exposure to ED, very frequent in our society, is a very important risk factor in the development of urologic pathologies as hypospadias; for this reason, awareness measures and prevention in social areas and workplace must be carried out to avoid unnecessary exposures.