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Diphallia, penile duplication (PD), diphallic terata, or diphallasparatus, is a medical condition in which a male infant is born with two penes. This is an extremely rare disorder with only approximately 1000 cases of diphallia recorded since the first, reported by Johannes Jacob Wecker in 1609[citation needed]. Its occurrence is one in 5.5 million men in the United States.[1]
When diphallia is present, it is usually accompanied by other congenital anomalies such as renal, vertebral, hindgut or anorectal duplication. There is also a higher risk of spina bifida. Infants born with PD and its related conditions have a higher death rate from various infections associated with their more complex renal or colorectal systems.
It is thought diphallia occurs in the fetus between the 23rd and 25th days of gestation when an injury, chemical stress, or malfunctioning homeobox genes hamper proper function of the caudal cell mass of the fetal mesoderm as the urogenital sinus separates from the genital tubercle and rectum to form the penis.
This rare condition has been documented in pigs and other mammals.
Diphallia is a medical condition and should not be confused with genital bisection, which is an elective procedure which involves the splitting of the penis.
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