Surgical treatment of hypospadias with lichen sclerosus: Long-term outcomes from a single center.

Abstract

Background: Hypospadias with lichen sclerosus (LS) poses surgical challenges due to lack of materials for urethral reconstruction and coverage and the limited number of reports on this clinical condition.

Objectives: To report surgical strategies and outcomes for primary and redo hypospadias patients with LS.

Materials and methods: We conducted a retrospective observational descriptive study with 31 patients with primary/redo hypospadias and LS between 2013 and 2023. Of these patients, 9 had primary hypospadias with 7 distal types and 2 proximal types, and 22 were redo patients. Nineteen of the 31 patients underwent various surgical techniques, and 12 underwent the oral mucosa onlay procedure (OMOP). Postoperative uroflowmetry, hypospadias objective scoring evaluation (HOSE), and complications were evaluated.

Results: For primary distal hypospadias with LS-affected skin, five patients underwent circumcision; these patients had normal postoperative urinary flow, and only one patient had an inconspicuous penis after surgery. For the patients with primary proximal hypospadias with an LS-affected urethra, one patient required perineal urethrostomy following a modified Koyanagi procedure for recurrent stricture; the other patient underwent two-stage transverse preputial island flap urethroplasty with no postoperative lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and satisfactory aesthetic scores. In two remaining cases of primary distal hypospadias with meatus/urethral LS, no LUTS or postoperative complications occurred following meatoplasty/circumcision and penile basal fixation. During reoperations, compared with those of patients who underwent other redo procedures, twelve patients who underwent OMOP had better Qmax and uroflowmetry (p = 0.002) and higher HOSE scores (p = 0.01).

Conclusions: For primary hypospadias patients with LS, enhanced exposure of the penile shaft and glans may benefit distal hypospadias, whereas staged surgery may be suitable for proximal hypospadias. The oral mucosa is favored for urethral augmentation in patients with redo hypospadias complicated with LS, and the OMOP can address neourethra coverage effectively.