What Is Diphallia? Pakistan Baby Boy Born With Two Penises And No Anus

A baby boy in Pakistan has been born with two penises and no anus, according to a paper published by the International Journal of Surgery Case Reports. This rare medical phenomenon is called "Dephallia," which affects one in six million babies. The doctors in Islamabad will perform a colonoscopy to create an opening for the boy to pass stools.

According to the journal, the boy’s penises were of "normal shape," but one was 1 cm longer than the other. The boy urinated from both penises, as he had a single bladder attached to two urethras. The surgeons at the Children’s Hospital at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences said that no surgery was done to remove the extra phallus without explaining the reason.

Pak Baby Born With Two Penis

The baby was born at 36 weeks and was reportedly discharged within two days. His family had no history of birth defects.

Diphallia or Double Penis is a rare genetic condition where a person is born with two penises. The first reported case of this condition was written about in a report by Swiss doctor Johannes Jacob Wecker in 1609.

This condition affects only 1 in every 5 or 6 million baby boys. Over the past 400+ years, only about 100 cases of this condition have been recorded.

Having two penises alone is not dangerous. However, people with the condition are prone to experiencing congenital defects, including digestive and urinary tract problems.

A baby boy with this condition could be born with the penis divided into two parts, called "penile duplication," or the scrotum could be divided into two parts, called the "cleft scrotum."

This genetic condition is caused by hereditary factors over which one has no control. There are no known factors that contribute to a baby boy developing this condition, nor are there any preventive measures that pregnant mothers can take to prevent their child from being affected by this condition.

Surgical intervention is the only treatment as of now. The extra phallus and its urethra will be cut off by surgery. However, diphallus surgery might not always be required.

People with this condition can live a normal life, it is not terminal and can be treated right from infancy.

In 2014, an anonymous man confessed on Reddit that he has two penises. He has also written a book on diphallia. His story is different, though, because both of his penises function.

Photo Credit: Tribune India

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