The Efficacy of Dihydrotestosterone Transdermal Gel Before Primary Hypospadias Surgery: A Prospective, Controlled, Randomized Study

The document detailed a study by Kaya et al. on the application of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) transdermal gel before primary hypospadias surgery, which found significantly less scar formation in patients who received DHT pretreatment. Despite the positive outcomes, concerns were raised by other professionals regarding the potential psychological effects and morphological changes in genital skin, resembling basal cell carcinoma, associated with DHT use in young children. Critics also noted the study's lack of stratification by age, phallus size, and meatus location, as well as concerns about long-term effects. The authors defended their findings, highlighting the cosmetic benefits and absence of pathological dermal changes, and explained the higher average age of nearly 3 years in their study due to the rural origin of the patient population. The exact number of study participants was not provided.