Abnormal Sexual Differentiation

July 20th, 2005

The standard classification of individuals with intersexuality (hermaphroditism) proceeds according to gonadal morphology. In this terminology, a true hermaphrodite possesses both ovarian and testicular tissue. A male pseudohermaphrodite has testes, but external and sometimes internal genitalia take on female phenotypic aspects. A female pseudohermaphrodite has ovaries, but genital development displays masculine characteristics. These classifications are modified to reflect gonadal abnormalities due to abnormal sex chromosome constitution or abnormalities of phenotype attributable to an inappropriate fetal hormone environment. Hypospadias in the absence of any other deformity is not included in this classification.