Woman, 23, affected by rare condition that causes her vagina to ‘gradually close’ – and causes the growth of a ‘micropenis’
Doctors have performed an extremely rare operation to transform the life of a 23-year-old woman who suffered from a series of bizarre genital deformities, including ‘closing’ her vaginal opening.
According to the report published in Springer Nature, the woman had only noticed the problem two years before the surgery and had had regular periods until then.
Gynecologists also noted that her clitoris — genital tissue containing about 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 that is estimated to affect approximately 160,000 people worldwide.
The woman is said to suffer from a genetic condition that affects only one in 160,000 women worldwide, called clitoromegaly.
In this rare condition, the external genitals develop abnormally, often resembling male genitals.
It is thought to be caused by a mutation in the DNA, which causes a serious imbalance in sex hormones during the child’s development.
While most women who suffer from the condition develop male genitals 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 note that symptoms of the condition may go unnoticed until puberty begins and patients experience an increase in sex hormones.
The doctors noted that the patient also had extremely little breast tissue and excessive facial hair growth.
Major surgery was performed to remove excess skin from the clitoris, leaving a small line of nerve tissue that resembled typical female anatomy and was approximately 5mm long.
The woman is said to have suffered from excessive facial hair and abnormally little breast tissue. Image: Springer Nature
Despite the woman’s genitals looking male, scans showed her female reproductive organs were intact. Image: Springer Nature
Surgeons then removed the “fused skin” covering her vaginal opening and sutured all the incisions.
Doctors reported that the woman was discharged after five days.
A month later, The doctors said the sensation in the area was “normal” and that the patient was “delighted, happy and extremely satisfied” with both the cosmetic and functional results.
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 situation, they say, is ‘‘major psychological and psychosocial impact’ and can cause ‘great mental pain for the family’.
“This leads to social withdrawal, particularly 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.”