Brazilian boy’s duplicate penis surgically removed

A boy from Sao Paulo in Brasilia who was born with two penises over two years ago, has resulted in surgery, with surgeons removing the larger one of the two sex organs.

The 1-in-5 million birth defect, called Diphallia initially led doctors at the Federal University of Sao Paulo to decide on removing the boy’s smaller penis.

But, his mother soon revealed that the smaller penis was the only one of the two sex organs her son was urinating from.

Examinations concluded that his larger penis, which was situated on the left, was not functioning properly as its urethra was too narrow for urine to pass through.

The Journal of Pediatric Urology, in which the case was detailed, provides no reason for the penis only being removed at the age of two.

It seems that it is possible for both sex organs to be functioning in some Diphallia cases, though.

In March 2022, the UK’s Daily Mail reported about an Uzbekistani boy who was born with two functioning penises. According to the article, he had been living with the condition for seven years without any discomfort before having one of the penises removed.

In February 2018, the Deccan Chronicle published an article about a man with two penises, describing what sex is really like.

The man, who came under the spotlight on Reddit in 2014 also wrote a book about Diphallia and according to the Deccan Chronicle, he told Unilad that he ejaculates from both penises during sex, while he uses the right one to masturbate.

READ: Experts say Covid-19 can shrink your penis after man loses 4 centimetres

What is Diphallia?

According to the Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Centre at NIH, Diphallia can be defined as a rare, non-syndromic, urogenital tract malformation characterised by complete or partial penile duplication. This could range from only glans duplication to the presence of two penis shafts with either one or two corpora cavernosum in each.

What are the symptoms?

According to healthline.com doctors may note certain differences in baby boys born with Diphallia, including abnormalities in the penis, scrotum or testicles. Healthline says the condition normally manifests in one of two ways: A penis divided into two parts (penile duplication), or the scrotum divided into two parts (cleft scrotum).

According to the Daily Mail, Diphallia also comes with an increased risk of spina bifida, a developmental congenital condition which causes some vertebrate protecting the spinal cord to not form completely and therefore remain open.

Is Diphallia treatable?

Surgery intervention seems to be the only way to treat Diphallia. Boys or men with the condition should consult with a doctor to ensure proper functioning of their genitals, as well as the gastrointestinal tract. The condition might not be a bother in the person’s day to day life, but it could have an effect on their health, which is why it is important to consult a medical practitioner in this regard.

Did you know?

• The first case of Diphallia was recorded in the 1600s.
• Triphallia is the term used for a person who has three penises, and this has only been reported once. The International Journal of Surgery Case Reports reported the first-ever human case of Triphallia in 2020.