Pakistani Baby Born With 2 Penises, No Anus; Know What This Condition Is Called

Noting diphallia is a rare congenital anomaly, which means two structurally and anatomically separate phalluses, the study noted that as diphallia presents with a spectrum of diseases, it requires a multidisciplinary approach.

“As in our case, the patient had diphallia with anorectal malformation. Hence, he was operated upon and a sigmoid colostomy was constructed,” the study read.

According to Dr Shrey Srivastav, MD (Internal Medicine), Sharda Hospital, the cause of diphallia, also called penile duplication (PD), diphallic terata, or diphallasparatus, “is unknown”.

“Since its associated anomalies vary largely, it is impossible to give a simple, single explanation of its cause. But it is thought to have started from duplication of cloacal membrane in early embryonic development stages in the foetus, between the third and sixth week of gestation,” Dr Srivastav told indianexpress.com

“A double penis is frequently accompanied by a number of anomalies, including a double urinary tract, urethra, bladder, and digestive system. Since it’s also associated with a double and dilated colon, it needs to be evaluated and excised, Dr Shrinivas R P, consultant – Urology, Manipal Hospital, Whitefield, Bangalore told indianexpress.com adding that a thorough evaluation is needed to rule out associated abnormalities

Dr Shrinivas also urged that while the double penis “might appear horrifying or frightful to the parents and the general public”,  as long as the child can urinate, it’s not an emergency.

Once the child has gained some weight and is more stable after a few months, Dr Shrinivas said that doctors can perform a thorough evaluation to determine which urethra needs to be removed.

“We can also decide which bladder has to be excised because two bladders are mostly not compatible in the long run. Hence, one of the bladders and one of the urethra needs to be removed so that both kidneys join into the common bladder. That will restore the urinary tract to its regular state. In addition, the shorter, less developed penis must be taken out,” Dr Shrinivas was quoted as saying.

In this case, as the baby’s post-operative recovery was uneventful, the study noted that the patient was discharged on the second post-operative day and called for follow-up.