Disorders of sexual differentiation can cause ambiguity between male and female characteristics. These include differences in chromosomes, gonads, genitals or hormone levels. Evaluation of an infant with ambiguous genitalia involves a thorough history, physical exam, lab tests like karyotyping and hormone levels, and imaging to determine the underlying condition. Management is usually by a multidisciplinary team and may involve counselling, hormone treatment or surgery depending on the specific diagnosis and assigned sex of rearing. The goal is to properly diagnose and treat the condition while avoiding harming the individual's psychosocial well-being.
2. DSD
Group of disorders in which differentiation between male and female couldn’t be done
clearly
Intersexuality (intersex) There is discordance between any two of the organic sex criteria
(chromosomal, gonadal, internal genitalia, external genitalia or phenotypic sex)
Transsexuality discordance between organic sex & psychological sex components
3. Chromosomal sex XX or XY
gonadal sex ovary or testis
internal genitalia tubes, uterus, vagina
or epididymis, vas
external genitalia vulva, penis& scrotum
phenotype sex feminization or
masculinization
4. Sex determination time
1st at fertilization
Indifferent stage till 6 weeks
During rest of pregnancy become differentiated
At delivery
5. Indifferent stage
of sexual
development
2 longitudinal tube are
present on each side of the
midline
The mesonephric duct
(Wolffian duct)
The paramesonephric duct
(Mullerian duct)
6. What is
Mullerian
duct?
Mullerian ducts are the primordial
form of the female reproductive tract
They are two longitudinal tubes one
on each side of the midline
They differentiate to form the fallopian
tubes, uterus, the uterine cervix, and
the superior part of the vagina
7. So, what is
the
mesonephric
duct?
It’s the primitive duct which will develop into the
male genital system (the epididymis, vas deferens,
ejaculatory duct, and seminal vesicle)
9. Requirements
for male
XY
Intact SRY region on Y chromosome
Testis secreting AMH& testosterone
5 alpha reductase enzyme
Intact receptor sensitivity for
testosterone
10. SRY region on Y chromosome
The only gene on Y chromosome responsible for sex determination
If absent the differentiation to male will never occur
11. AMH
Secreted by Sertoli cells
Responsible for regression of Mullerian duct
If absent fetus will develop into female internal genitalia
12. Testosterone
Secreted by ley dig cells
Stimulate development of wolffian duct (vas, epididymis& seminal vesicles)
If absent so wolffian ducts will not develop
Its effect is paracrine effect
13. DHT
5 alpha reductase enzyme transform circulating testosterone into DHT which act locally on
external genitalia to develop into male
So, in presence of DHT locally external genitalia will develop into male
In absence of DHT locally (whether due to absent 5 alpha reductase enzyme or receptor
insensitivity to DHT) external genitalia will develop by default into female
So, circulating testosterone level can affect external genitalia development
14. Requirements
for female
XX
Ovaries
Internal genitalia develop in absence of AMH
External genitalia develop by default in absence of
androgen
Normal adrenal gland function (21 hydroxylase
enzyme, 11 beta hydroxylase enzyme& 3 beta
hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase enzyme)
17. Historical origin
of the word
hermaphrodite
Hermaphroditus, the son of the Greek god Hermes
(the symbol of power) and the goddess Aphrodite
(the symbol of beauty), origin of the word
"hermaphrodite“
Salmacis loved Hermaphroditus till madness, but he
didn’t love her
She asked gods of Olympias to make their bodies
unit
And they agreed her, and their bodies melted and
united together, so Hermaphroditus had both male
and female external& internal genitals, also he has
both male and female phenotypic criteria
So, in medical field the word hermaphrodite was
given to those persons who has inability to be
distinguished whether male or female
21. Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH)
Autosomal recessive trait, Familial disease
The commonest cause of genital ambiguity at birth
Congenital as the pathology occur during intrauterine life
Adrenal hyperplasia as there is overproduction of adrenal hormones
including androgens
22. CAH pathogenesis
• Deficiency of 21 hydroxylase enzyme
• Leading to reduced cortisol levels
• Increased ACTH
• Bilateral adrenal hyperplasia
• Increased secretion of all adrenal gland
hormones including androgens
• Increased 17 hydroxyprogesterone in blood
& its metabolite 17 ketosteroid in urine
• Excess androgens in female fetus affect
external genitalia making it develop into male
external genitalia despite being chromosomally
female XX
23. Other enzymatic deficiency causes CAH
11 beta hydroxylase
Hypertensive form of CAH
Hypertension at delivery
Salt retaining form
Due to increased deoxy cortisol
and deoxy corticosterone
3 beta hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase
Hypotensive form of CAH
May present with shock at
delivery
Lethal
Salt losing form of CAH
24. Chromosomes 46 XX
Gonads ovary
Internal genitalia Mullerian (tubes, uterus & vagina)
External genitalia disturbed
genital folds fuse instead of labia minora
phallus enlarges so appear to be male at birth with hypospadias
misdiagnosed as male with non descended testes
25. Clinical picture
At birth ambiguous genitalia
Precocious puberty (heterosexual) virilization symptoms in female earlier
with pubic and axillary hair appearance with deepening of voice at 2-4 years
Ovaries are normally developed but excess androgen leads to anovulation
If male child was affected by CAH, this will present by precocious masculinity
(infant Hercules)
27. Treatment
Small dose of corticosteroid preparations to inhibit ACTH release and to
allow adrenal gland to function normally
Treatment must be continued throughout life
Plastic surgery to the external genitalia
Early management is very important
42. For normal female development
2 X chromosomes should be present
Presence of the second X chromosome is essential for ovarian
development and maintenance
43. Why there is deficient other X chromosome?
Deletion of the other sex chromosome during
division
Mosaicism
Inherited turner but very rare
44. Turner syndrome is usually not inherited but is a
random event during reproduction
45. Mosaicism
during division of chromosomes they may divide across
their centrosomes instead of longitudinal division----
isochromosome formation
This happens in only one or 2 cells during early stage of
segmentation of the fertilized ovum---- these cells
reproduce in their offspring cells ---- so 2 cell lines develop
in the fetus (e.g 46XX- 45XO, 46XY-45XO)
46. Effects on genital apparatus& phenotype depend on which cell
line is dominant and their tissue distribution
if predominant 45XO gonad isn't likely to develop, other tissues
in the body are 46XX
if predominant 46XX ovary develop and function despite
elsewhere dominant cell line is 45XO
if predominant 46XY testes will develop despite elsewhere cell
line is 45XO
47. Genes which protect against physical
malformations of Turner syndrome are carried on
short arm of two matching XX
Genes which protect against streak gonads are on
long arms
short arm deletion---- short fertile
long arm deletion---- long infertile
54. Investigations
This is a case of hypergonadotrophic hypogonadism so decreased
estrogen & increased FSH
Karyotyping
55.
56. Management
1- cyclic E&P to stimulate breast, menstruation, prevent
osteoporosis& CVD
GH may be added
2- in mosaic types with Y cell line oophorectomy was done as
there is risk for malignancy
3- oocyte donation which is forbidden in some societies for
cultural& religious beleifs
57. Note
Turner female may get pregnant but will enter in menopause early due
to poor ovarian reserve from premature ovarian failure
Turner female may be tall and get menses
58. Klinefelter
syndrome
47 XXY
Male phenotype
Caused by nondisjunction
Tall
Testicular& genital hypoplasia
Female distribution of fat & gynecomastia
Mental defects
Hypoplastic external genitalia
Small phallus with undescended testes
59. True
hermaphroditism
Very rare
Gonads ovary on one side & testes on other side
or bilateral ovotestis
Karyotype 46 XX, XY
Internal Mullerian & wolffian
Gonadal biopsy is needed for definitive diagnosis
60. Mixed
gonadal
dysgenesis
Combined features of Turner syndrome & male
pseudo hermaphroditism
Short stature
Streak gonads on one side with testes on other side
Karyotype 46 XY / 46 X0
61. Very difficult to reach a
definitive diagnosis but
its not impossible so
proper management
must be done
63. Clinical presentation of intersex
At birth ambiguous genitalia
During childhood heterosexual features
During adolescence delayed puberty or heterosexual precocious puberty
65. Ambiguous
genitalia
Term given when the external genital organs look
unusual, making it impossible to identify the sex or
the newborn from its outward appearance
68. Risk factors
Family history
Maternal drug exposure during pregnancy
Maternal ovarian or adrenal androgen secreting
tumors
Unexplained death in early infancy
69. Clinical
picture of
ambiguous
genitalia
Any of the following
Small, hypospadic phallus with unilateral
undescended gonads
Enlarged phallus with bilateral impalpable gonads
Enlarged phallus & vagina
70. Management of ambiguous genitalia
Should include the following items
General guidelines
History taking
Examination
Investigations
Surgical considerations
71. General
guidelines
Ambiguous genitalia is a medical& social emergency
Avoid immediate declaration of sex
Proper counselling & psychiatric support of parents
Sex may not be clearly defined till age of 1.5 years
MDT management (obstetrician, hematologist,
pediatrician, endocrinologist, genetist& pediatric
surgeon)
73. Examination
General
hypertension in the hypertensive form of CAH
hypotension& shock at delivery in the lethal form
of CAH
Abdominal
abdominal masses (ovarian or adrenal)
Fredman rule a palpable gonads below inguinal ligament
is testes till prove otherwise
Local
hypospadias
fused labia
clitoromegaly
undescended testes
74. Investigations
1st priority is to rule out CAH by sending 2 samples to
the laboratory
One blood sample ------ to detect 17
hydroxyprogesterone
The other is urine sample ------ to detect 17
ketosteroids
Karyotyping buccal smear
Testosterone, DHT, testosterone precursors
Pelvic US, MRI
Skin biopsy to detect activity of 5 alpha reductase
enzyme
Laparoscopy & gonadal biopsy to confirm diagnosis
75. Diagnosis of XY pseudo hermaphroditism
Testosterone concentration
low
Testosterone precursors
concentration
Increased
Testicular enzymatic
failure
Decreased
Absent testes or ley
dig cell agenesis
Normal male level
DHT
low
5 alpha reductase
deficiency
Normal
TFS
77. Take home
message
• Never declare sex at birth until
being sure cause you will harm this
individual all his life
• If confused call for help
• Please be a doctor and don’t be
Om Elsaad