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

The study showcases the case of a two-year-old Arabian horse diagnosed with a sexual development disorder, who was successfully treated using a one-stage surgical procedure. This procedure not only corrected the horse’s abnormal genitalia but also curbed its dangerous behavior.

Introduction

• The horse was brought in because of its abnormal genitalia and dangerous behavior typical of a stallion, implying aggression, territoriality, and unpredictability.
• A diagnosis of Disorder of Sexual Development (DSD), or intersex/hermaphroditism, was made on the horse. The condition involves a discrepancy between the internal and external sexual organs.

Surgical Procedure

• The horse underwent a standing one-stage surgical approach under sedation and local anaesthesia.
• The primary goals of the procedure were to eliminate the stallion-like behavior, decrease the chances of cancerous transformation of the intraabdominal gonads, and to replace the ambiguous genitalia with more functional, and visually acceptable anatomy.
• The surgery was done in two major steps: Laparoscopic exploration and removal of the gonads (gonadectomy); and resection of the rudimentary penis and perineal urethrostomy (creation of a new opening for urine to exit the body).
• The total combined time for the surgery was 185 minutes, and the horse tolerated the procedure exceptionally well without complications.

Post-Surgery Findings

• The post-surgery examination of the removed gonads resembled underdeveloped testicular tissue.
• Microscopically, these gonads were found to contain seminiferous tubules and Leydig and Sertoli cells— all of which are typical components of male testes. However, the cytogenetic evaluation showed a 64,XX karyotype, which is characteristic of females and was negative for Sex-determining Region Y (SRY)—the gene typically responsible for initiating male sex determination.
• The procedure proved effective as the horse’s aggressive behavior receded within a few days post-surgery.

Long-Term Outcome

• Follow-ups revealed that the genitoplasty site had healed without urine scalding or urethral stricture, which are common complications.
• The owner was highly satisfied with the results and the horse was deemed fit to participate in athletic activity post-surgery.