epispadias

Term: epispadias

Origin: Anc Greek

επί/epi-(prefix meaning "upon", "on", "above")

σπαδή/spade(=opening, orifice)

Literally meaning: opening above

Coined/History

The first case of “epispadias” was reffered for Byzantine Emperor Heraclius (610-641 AD).

J Lascaratos; E Poulakou-Rembelakou; A Rembelakos; S Marketos The first case of epispadias: an unknown disease of the Byzantine Emperor Heraclius (610-641 AD).British journal of urology 1995;76(3):380-3.

Definition

Epispadias is a birth defect in which there is an absence of the upper wall of the urethtra, much rarer than hypospadias.