title: Atresia ani with diphallus and separate scrota in a calf: a case report.
abstract: Atresia ani, a common genetic defect in animals, is often accompanied by urogenital defects in calves. This paper reports a case of atresia ani with diphallus and separate scrota in a calf. The calf was born with atresia ani; surgery (to open the anus) was performed 3 days after birth. No urogenital abnormalities were noticed until 4 months after birth. At that time, two separate scrota (each containing a testis) and a sac-like structure in the middle of two scrota, were visible. The gait was abnormal, with abduction of the hind limbs while walking. Additionally, the hind legs appeared wider than usual at the hip joints. Two weeks later, two peni (diphallia) was observed, each in a separate preputial sheath. The calf had a normal karyotype on cytogenetic examination. Plasma concentrations of testosterone at 5.5, 6, and 7 months of age were 3.5, 1.9, and 1.7 ng/ml, respectively. At necropsy (7 months of age), the prepuce was thick and the glans of the right penis was adhered to the prepuce. The left penis did not have a urethra or retractor penis muscles. The sac-like structure in the middle of the two scrota contained the urinary bladder and a loop of small intestine. The pubic bone had failed to fuse at the pelvic symphysis. In conclusion, this is the first reported case of atresia ani with diphallus, separate scrota, and pubic bone separation in a calf.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Animal Science, Graduate School for International Development and Cooperation, Hiroshima University, 1-5-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-8529, Japan.
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ghanem
authors.forename: Chikako
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Isobe
authors.forename: Toshihiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakao
authors.forename: Hidekazu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamashiro
authors.forename: Hirokazu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kubota
authors.forename: Yoh-Ichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Miyake
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakada
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001006:Anus, Imperforate / Q000662:veterinary*; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D010413:Penis / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000473:pathology; D011630:Pubic Bone / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000473:pathology; D012611:Scrotum / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000473:pathology; D013737:Testis / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000473:pathology; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D013739:Testosterone