One-stage surgical case management of a two-year-old Arabian horse affected by male-pseudo hermaphroditism

• Published in: Journal of equine veterinary science 2024, Vol.133, p.105007-105007
• Main Authors: Pompermayer, E, Ysebaert, M P, Vinardell, T, Oikawa, M-A, Johnson, J P, Fernandes, T, David, F
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0737-0806
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jevs.2024.105007

A two-year-old Arabian horse presented for abnormal external genitalia and dangerous stallion-like behavior was diagnosed with disorder of sexual development (DSD), also known as intersex/hermaphroditism. Standing 1-stage surgical procedure performed under sedation, and local anesthesia to concurrently eliminate stallion-like behavior, risk of neoplastic transformation of intraabdominal gonads, and to replace ambiguous external genital with a functional, and cosmetically more acceptable anatomy. Step-1) Laparoscopic abdominal exploration and gonadectomy; Step-2) Rudimentary penis resection and perineal urethrostomy. The horse tolerated surgery well (combined surgery time 185 min) with no complications. At macroscopic examination of the gonads, they resembled hypoplastic testis-like tissues. Microscopic examination confirmed presence of seminiferous tubules, Leydig and Sertoli/granulosa cells. Cytogenetic evaluation revealed a 64,XX karyotype, SRY-negative. The stallion-like behavior subsided within days post-operatively. Long-term follow-up revealed the genitoplasty site healed without urine scalding or urethral stricture. The owner satisfaction was excellent and the horse could be used post-surgery as an athlete.