A newborn boy has the external urethral meatus opening on the ventral aspect of the penis near the corona. This hypospadias results from failure of:
- A Fusion of the urethral (urogenital) folds over the urethral groove ✓
- B Fusion of the labioscrotal swellings
- C Canalisation of the solid distal urethral plate by ectodermal ingrowth
- D Descent of the testis through the inguinal canal
Correct answer: A. Fusion of the urethral (urogenital) folds over the urethral groove
Explanation
The penile urethra forms when the urethral folds, bounding the urethral groove on the ventral penis, fuse in the midline to convert the groove into a tube. Failure of this fusion leaves the meatus opening ventrally anywhere along the shaft, producing hypospadias. Labioscrotal fold failure causes scrotal anomalies such as bifid scrotum, and cryptorchidism is a separate process involving the gubernaculum.
Reference: Moore and Persaud, The Developing Human, 11th ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.