Which congenital malformation results in the urethral opening on the underside of the penis?

• A. Epispadias
• B. Hypospadias
• C. Phimosis
• D. Priapism

Answer: (B)

The main concept here is the abnormal placement of the urethral opening along the penis. When the urethral meatus opens on the underside (ventral surface) of the penis, it is hypospadias. This is a congenital malformation arising from incomplete fusion of the urethral folds during development, leading to the urethra terminating along the penile shaft rather than at the tip. Hypospadias can be associated with a downward curvature of the penis (chordee) and urinary stream abnormalities, and it is typically repaired surgically in early childhood to create a more normal glans opening and function.

In contrast, epispadias involves the opening on the upper (dorsal) surface of the penis and has its own distinct associations, such as bladder-exstrophy spectrum; phimosis is a tight foreskin restricting retraction with normal urethral opening, and priapism is a painful, prolonged erection not related to the location of the urethral meatus.