A female resident of Britain had existed for 78 years unaware of her possessing three penises.
A man who hailed from Birmingham turned out to have an extraordinary medical condition upon his demise. Medical students conducting an autopsy on the 78-year-old's body, who had donated it to scientific research, made the shocking discovery of three penises. The Australian news source, news.com.au, reported this extraordinary occurrence.
The students from Birmingham Medical School discovered that only one of the penises was functioning, while the other two, smaller in size, were situated within the scrotum. Speculations suggest that the man was blissfully unaware of his congenital defect throughout his life.
The doctors then documented their findings in the "Journal of Medical Case Reports," suggesting that he might have experienced various functional issues due to his abnormal anatomy, including urinary tract infections, erectile dysfunction, or fertility problems.
A rarity with a 1:5,000,000-1:12,000,000 prevalence
Triphallia, as this condition is known, is considerably rarer than diphallia, the more common anomaly resulting in a duplicated penis. Only one other case of triphallia has been reported worldwide, with the Iraqi newborn being the first documented case, announced in April 2021.
The autopsy of the Birmingham man provided unprecedented insights into the internal structure of this anomaly, allowing the researchers to establish a more accurate prevalence of the condition. Approximately one in five to six million newborns were found to be afflicted with an excess number of penises, according to the "International Journal of Surgery Case Reports."
Hidden internals
The Birmingham case offers compelling evidence to suggest that diphallia and triphallia may be more widespread than suspected, as the two additional penises of the 78-year-old man went unnoticed throughout his entire life. Due to this lack of symptoms, a concealed internal penis may go unnoticed and undiagnosed, as reported by ZME Science.
Healthcare providers should consider the possibility of anatomical anomalies such as these in patients presenting with urological symptoms, according to the researchers.
The doctors at Birmingham Medical School noted that the case of the man with triphallia highlights the fact that men and boys, even those with no obvious symptoms, might be suffering from undiagnosed urological issues due to this rare condition. Furthermore, they emphasized the importance of considering such anomalies in their patient assessments to ensure comprehensive care.
