One-stage surgical case management of a two-year-old Arabian horse affected by male-pseudo hermaphroditism.
Authors: Pompermayer E, Ysebaert M P, Vinardell T, Oikawa M-A, Johnson J P, Fernandes T, David F
Journal: Journal of equine veterinary science
Summary
# Editorial Summary A two-year-old Arabian horse presenting with ambiguous external genitalia and problematic stallion-like behaviour was diagnosed with a 64,XX disorder of sexual development (DSD) — a condition where chromosomal and gonadal sex fail to align with phenotypic presentation — prompting a novel management strategy. Under standing sedation and local anaesthesia, the surgical team performed a single-stage procedure combining laparoscopic gonadectomy with external genitoplasty and perineal urethrostomy, completed in 185 minutes without operative or post-operative complications. Histological examination of the intra-abdominal gonads revealed seminiferous tubules, Leydig and Sertoli/granulosa cells consistent with hypoplastic testicular tissue, despite the XX karyotype and absence of the SRY gene. Behavioural improvement occurred within days of surgery, and long-term follow-up demonstrated excellent healing without urine scalding or urethral stricture formation, allowing the horse to resume athletic work. This case demonstrates that one-stage concurrent surgical correction of both neoplastic risk and behavioural/anatomical concerns in equine DSD cases is feasible and effective, offering clinicians a definitive, owner-acceptable management option when intersex conditions are suspected in young stock.
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Practical Takeaways
- •DSD cases presenting with stallion-like behavior and ambiguous genitalia can be managed successfully via single-stage standing surgery combining laparoscopic gonadectomy with genitoplasty, enabling athletic use post-operatively.
- •Behavioral abnormalities associated with DSD resolve rapidly after gonadectomy, often within days, suggesting hormonal rather than purely behavioral conditioning factors.
- •Perineal urethrostomy in DSD cases can achieve durable long-term functional outcomes without post-operative complications when proper surgical technique and post-operative care are employed.
Key Findings
- •One-stage standing surgical procedure under sedation and local anesthesia successfully managed DSD in a 2-year-old Arabian horse with combined laparoscopic gonadectomy and perineal urethrostomy (total surgery time 185 minutes).
- •Cytogenetic analysis revealed 64,XX karyotype with SRY-negative status, confirming XX male pseudo-hermaphroditism despite presence of testis-like gonadal tissue.
- •Stallion-like behavior resolved within days post-operatively and the horse healed without complications including urine scalding or urethral stricture at long-term follow-up.
- •The surgical approach achieved concurrent elimination of behavioral problems, neoplastic transformation risk, and replacement with functional and cosmetically acceptable external genitalia.