Definition

Noun: A rare congenital condition, primarily affecting males, where the urethral opening (the meatus) is located on the upper (dorsal) surface of the penis instead of at the tip. This results from abnormal development of the urethral tube during fetal growth.

Usage

The term is used exclusively in medical and clinical contexts to describe this specific birth defect. * The pediatric urologist diagnosed the newborn with epispadias. * Surgical correction is typically required for epispadias to restore normal urinary and, later, sexual function.

Advanced Usage

• The condition can be classified by severity: glandular epispadias (opening near the glans), penile epispadias (opening along the shaft), and penopubic epispadias (the most severe form, where the opening is near the pubic bone and is often associated with bladder exstrophy).
• While most common in males, a corresponding but extremely rare condition in females is sometimes referred to as female epispadias, where the urethral opening is abnormally positioned.

Variants and Related Words

• Epispadiac (adjective): Relating to or affected by epispadias.
  • The epispadiac deformity was present at birth.
• Hypospadias (noun): A more common congenital abnormality where the urethral opening is on the of the penis. This is a related but distinct condition often discussed in contrast to epispadias.

Synonyms

• Congenital urethral anomaly (This is a broader descriptive term, not a direct synonym.)
• Dorsal urethral meatus (This is an anatomical description of the result, not the condition name.)

Notes on Meaning

This word has only one specific medical meaning. It does not have general, idiomatic, or phrasal verb uses outside of its clinical definition.

Noun

1. a congenital abnormality in males in which the urethra is on the upper surface of the penis