A case of a male pseudo-hermaphrodite in a swine

Abstract

The terms hermaphrodite and intersex are used to refer to animals with ambiguous sexual traits. The diagnostic of pseudo-hermaphrodites must be based on survey of the gonads and in the phenotypic aspect of the reproductive trait. The male pseudo-hermaphrodites have only testicle. This report describes a case of a male pseudo-hermaphrodite in a pig, whose reproductive organs were collected in a slaughterhouse. The pig was 150 days old, weighed nearly 100 kg, and showed external genitalia compatible with a female. The organs were evaluated grossly and microscopically. Grossly, the vulva showed abnormal morphology, but the vagina and the uterus (cervix, body, and horns) showed normal topographic anatomy. The gonads were morphologically compatible with testes with epididymis and pampiniform plexuses present. Histological examination of the gonads confirmed the identification of testes showing degenerative changes. Based on the gross and microscopic findings, the animal was diagnosed as a male pseudo-hermaphrodite. Keywords: Pseudo-hermaphrodite, pig, reproductive system.