Doctors have performed an ultra-rare operation to transform the life of a 23-year-old woman who suffered from a series of strange genital deformities, including the “closure” of her vaginal opening.
The woman had noticed the problem only two years before the surgery and had until now experienced regular menstrual periods, according to the report published in Springer Nature.
Gynecologists also observed that her clitoris (genital tissue with around 8,000 nerve endings responsible for sexual pleasure) was more than 10 times the average length and resembled a “micropenis.”
Interestingly, scans showed that her reproductive organs, including her uterus and ovaries, were normal.
Clitoromegaly is a congenital condition believed to affect around 160,000 people worldwide.
The woman was said to suffer from a genetic disorder that affects only one in 160,000 women worldwide, called clitoromegaly.
This rare disorder causes the external genitalia to develop abnormally, often resembling male organs.
It is thought to be caused by a mutation in DNA that causes a severe imbalance in sex hormones as the child develops.
While most women with the condition develop some male genitalia at birth, in this most recent case, reported by doctors at Shalinitai Meghe Hospital in Nagpur, India, the “penis” only began to grow as the patient grew older.
Experts say symptoms of the disease can go unnoticed until puberty hits and patients are affected by an increase in sex hormones.
Doctors noted that the patient also had extremely small amounts of breast tissue, as well as excessive hair growth on her face.
A major operation was performed to cut away excess skin from the clitoris, leaving a small line of nerve tissue similar to typical female anatomy, approximately 5 mm.
The woman is said to have suffered from excessive facial hair growth and an abnormally small amount of breast tissue. Image: Springer Nature
Although the woman’s genitalia appeared male, scans showed that her female reproductive organs were intact. Image: Springer Nature
Surgeons then removed the “fused skin” covering her vaginal opening and closed all the incisions with stitches.
Doctors said the woman was discharged after five days.
A month later, Tenderness in the area was considered “normal” and the patient was “delighted, happy and extremely satisfied” with both the cosmetic and functional results, doctors said.
The authors of the medical case report note that many cases of clitoromegaly go unnoticed, especially if the changes to the genitals are minimal.
The condition, they say, is…great psychological and psychosocial impact” and can cause “great mental agony for the family.”
“This leads to social isolation, especially in team sports and medical examinations that involve nudity,” they continue. “They avoid romantic and sexual relationships, although there is no net effect on pleasurable sexual activity.”