Males exposed in utero to diethylstilbestrol
F. J. Leary, L. J. Resseguie, L. T. Kurland, P. C. O'Brien, R. F. Emslander and K. L. Noller
An increased frequency of various genitourinary anomalies, infertility, and
testicular cancer among males has been reported to follow intrauterine
exposure to diethylstilbestrol, but not all studies have confirmed an
association. This study was designed to determine whether a cohort of males
exposed in utero to diethylstilbestrol had a higher frequency of urogenital
abnormalities than an unexposed cohort. Biases in selection of exposed and
control participants were minimized. Of 828 exposed and 676 control men
studied by medical-record review, 265 exposed men and 274 controls also
underwent a special clinical examination. Overall, the data suggest that
diethylstilbestrol exposure of males in utero did not increase their risk
of genitourinary abnormalities, infertility, or testicular cancer.
Previously reported increased frequencies of these abnormalities in
diethylstilbestrol-exposed men may have resulted from selection biases or
differences in diethylstilbestrol use, or both.
