The diagnosis and management of 22 patients with true hermaphroditism are described. Sixteen of them were first seen before the age of 4 months. The initial manifestations were ambiguous genitalia in 20 cases (two of them identified prenatally by ultrasound examination), isolated clitoromegaly in one, and penile hypospadias plus unilateral cryptorchidism in one. All patients but one had at least one palpable gonad. Eleven of the twelve patients examined before the age of 6 months had basal plasma testosterone levels > 0.4 ng/ml. In older patients the stimulation test was necessary to demonstrate male testosterone secretion. The most common peripheral karyotype was 46,XX (17 cases); the other karyotypes were 47,XXY (1 case) and mosaicism 46,XX/46,XY (2 cases) or 46,XX/47,XXY (2 cases). One of the patients with the 46,XX karyotype had 46,XX/46,XY on fibroblast culture; four had the SRY gene in their leukocytes and one in the tissue taken at gonadal biopsy. A vagina was found in all patients at laparotomy, and a uterus was found in 17 cases (as a hemiuterus in 9). Genitography failed to demonstrate a uterus in only one case. The testicular tissue was dysgenetic but the ovarian tissue was normal. Sex assignment was male in 8 patients (reoriented by us in 2) and female in 14 patients (reoriented by us in 3). Spontaneous pubertal development occurred in the 4 patients (2 boys, 2 girls) with gonadal tissue who reached pubertal age. We conclude that true hermaphroditism is a heterogeneous condition in terms of its genetic background, with a prevalence of the 46,XX karyotype. There may be mosaicism with a Y-bearing cell line limited to the gonad (its frequency is probably underestimated), a paternal meiotic exchange between X and Y occurring in 46,XX cases with SRY, or a lack of the SRY gene, suggesting that other genes working independently of SRY may also determine testicular differentiation.

True hermaphroditism: geographical distribution, clinical findings, chromosomes and gonadal histology. Eur J Pediatr. 1994 Jan;153(1):2-10.

We reviewed 283 cases of human true hermaphroditism published from 1980 to 1992. Of the 96 cases described in Africa 96.9% showed a 46,XX karyotype. In Europe 40.5% of 74 cases and 21.0% of the patients in North America had chromosomal mosaicism. The 46,XY karyotype is extremely rare (7%) and equally distributed through Asia, Europe and North America. Of 283 cases 87 were of black or black mixed origin with a 46,XX chromosomal constellation. The most common gonad in patients with true hermaphroditism, an ovotestis, was found in 44.4% of 568 gonads. Gonads with testicular tissue were more frequent on the right side of the body, while pure ovarian tissue was more common on the left. Histologically the testicular tissue was described to be immature and only twice was spermatogenesis reported while the ovarian portion often appeared normal. This coincides with 21 pregnancies reported in ten true hermaphrodites while only one true hermaphrodite apparently has fathered a child. Of the patients 4.6% were reported to have gonadal tumours. Position and type of the genital ducts, frequency of clinical findings such as genital abnormalities and gynaecomastia, correlations between assigned sex and karyotype as well as the age at diagnosis are reported.

True hermaphroditism: clinical features, genetic variants and gonadal histology. J Pediatr Endocrinol Metab. 2001;14(4):421-7.

True hermaphroditism is a rare cause of intersexuality in which both ovarian and testicular tissue is present in the same individual. We present the clinical findings, karyotype, gonadal histology and management of eight patients with true hermaphroditism. Their ages ranged from 43 days to 12 years at the first evaluation. The presenting symptoms were ambiguous genitalia (6 patients), isolated clitoromegaly (1 patient) and hypospadias (1 patient). The most common karyotype was 46,XX (6 patients). In one patient the karyotype was 46,XY and in another 45,XO/46,XY mosaicism, which is rare in the literature. A vagina was found by genitography in all patients, and at laparotomy the uterus was found normal in five patients, hypoplastic in one patient, as a fibrous band in one, and absent in the remaining patient. Histological investigation of the gonads revealed bilateral ovotestis in two patients, ovotestis plus ovary in two patients, and ovary on one side and testis on the other side in three patients. Five patients were assigned to the female sex, and three to the male sex. One of these patients was changed from male to female after evaluation.

True hermaphroditism: an analytic review with a report of 3 new cases. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1976 Dec 1;126(7):890-907.

Three new cases of true hermaphroditism are described: a 14-year-old patient with a testis on one side and an ovotestis on the other side and a 11-year-old patient as well as a 6-year-old patient both with an ovary on the one side and an ovotestis on the other side. Twenty-four cases, which were personally investigated, were previously reported. Therefore, this analytic review is based upon the author's experience of 27 cases as well as 340 cases reported in the world literature since 1899. The presenting symptoms and age of diagnosis are discussed. Apart from ambiguous genitals, the development of breasts in a patient reared as male is an important presenting symptom. The variations found regarding the external and internal genitals are described. An ovotestis is the most common gonad found in true hermaphroditism. Among 116 ovotestes available for analysis, 46 per cent are located in an ovarian position, 26 per cent in the labioscrotal fold, 24 per cent in the inguinal canal, and 4 per cent in the internal inguinal ring. Evidence of ovulation is found in 50 per cent of ovotestes. Spermatogenesis has not been observed in the testicular portion of an ovotestis. Spermatogenesis was present in only 12 per cent of testes found in true hermaphroditism. Dysgerminomas occur with a frequency of 1.3 per cent. A fallopian tube and a vas deferens were never found together next to an ovotestis. Cytogenetic findings are reported in 115 cases of true hermaphroditism, including the cases described in this paper. A 46,XX chromosomal complement is the most common finding, occurring in 57.4 per cent of cases. It is interesting that 42.6 per cent showed no evidence of a Y chromosome. With the use of the fluorescent technique in metaphase chromosomes as well as the Y chromatin body in interphase cells, no Y chromosome was detected in the three new cases reported here. The various possibilities for the development of testicular tissues in the absence of a Y chromosome are discussed. In the diagnosis of true hermaphroditism the palpation of an ovotestis with a soft testicular portion and a firm ovarian portion is stressed. As far as the treatment of true hermaphroditism is concerned, the external genitals should be changed according to the gender identity which usually correlates with the sex of rearing.