epispadias /ep′ispā″dē·əs/ [Gk, epi + spadon, a rent] , a congenital defect in which the urethra opens on the dorsum of the penis at any point below the internal sphincter. Other pelvic abnormalities may be present. Treatment focuses on correcting or managing urinary incontinence, which occurs because the urinary sphincters are defective, and on permitting sexual function. The corresponding defect in women, in which the urethra opens by the separation of the labia minora and a fissure of the clitoris, is quite rare.
