This was only the second known case of triphallia, or a "triple penis," in the medical literature. (Image credit: Team Static via Getty Images)
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The individual: A 78-year-old man in the United Kingdom
The discovery: The man donated his body after death. While dissecting the cadaver, medical students made a "serendipitous discovery" in the pelvis, according to a report of the case.
Inside the skin of the scrotal sac and adjacent to a primary external penis were two smaller penile structures. Only the primary penis was externally visible, but all three penises included a bulbous structure called a glans and a chamber of spongy tissue that would fill with blood to create an erection, known as the corpus cavernosum.
What happened next: Doctors measured the three penises, finding that the external penis measured about 3 inches (7.7 centimeters) long and was 0.9 inches (2.4 cm) wide. The second penis measured 1.49 inches (3.8 cm) long and was 0.51 inches (1.3 cm) wide, while the third penis was 1.45 inches (3.7 cm) long with a width of 0.47 inches (1.2 cm).
Upon closer examination, doctors saw that there was only one urethra — the tube that transports urine from the bladder — which followed a "meandering course" through the secondary penis and then into the primary penis, terminating in the external penis' urethral orifice. There were no branches in the tunnel, and no additional urethral tubes were found in the third and smallest penis.
The diagnosis: During fetal development, a structure called the genital tubercle arises and eventually develops into external genitalia, forming either a clitoris or a penis. "In this case, there may have been triplication of the genital tubercle," resulting in three penises, according to the report. Possessing three penises is called triphallia. (The more common variant of this anomaly is diphallia, referring to two penises.)
The urethra originated in the secondary penis, but changed course and redirected into the primary penis when the secondary one failed to fully develop, the authors suggested.
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The analysis: Instructors and students at the medical school did not know the man's identity, nor did they have access to his records or medical history. As a result, they were unsure if the man knew about his condition. Nevertheless, they expressed doubts in the report that his triphallia went entirely unnoticed.
Had the man required a urinary catheter insertion, the procedure would have been extremely challenging due to "the tortuous nature of the urethra" winding around and through his second penis, doctors explained in the report. They also noted signs of scarring in the man's groin from an inguinal hernia, in which abdominal tissue oozes through an opening in the abdominal wall called the inguinal canal.
Internal pressure or friction from the presence of two additional penises may have weakened the man's lower abdominal wall and contributed to the hernia, the authors theorized. Medical attention for the damage could have led other doctors to discover the supernumerary penises, they added.
Other dilemmas
What makes the case unique: The development of more than one penis is extremely rare, appearing in approximately 1 in 5 to 6 million live births, according to a 2010 review of published case reports; these cases are predominantly diphallia. The man's case was the first discovery of a triple penis in a cadaver, and the second known example of triphallia documented in scientific literature, in general.
In most cases, extra penises are associated with medical issues such as sexual dysfunction, fertility problems and urinary tract infections. When supernumerary penises cause physical discomfort or medical complications, a common solution is to surgically remove them. Or, if they are externally visible, the patient may choose to remove them for cosmetic reasons, according to the report.
Perhaps in this case, the authors speculated, the man knew about his triphallia but opted to forgo surgery "due to the apparent lack of symptoms" and the "benign nature" of his condition.
Disclaimer
This article is for informational purposes only and is not meant to offer medical advice.
Article Sources
Buchanan, J., Gadd, M., How, R., Mathews, E., Coetzee, A., & Katti, K. (2024). Triphallia: the first cadaveric description of internal penile triplication: a case report. Journal of Medical Case Reports, 18(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13256-024-04751-5
Can you guess the diagnosis in these strange medical cases? Find out with our diagnostic dilemma quiz!
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Mindy WeisbergerLive Science Contributor
Mindy Weisberger is a science journalist and author of "Rise of the Zombie Bugs: The Surprising Science of Parasitic Mind-Control" (Hopkins Press). She formerly edited for Scholastic and was a channel editor and senior writer for Live Science. She has reported on general science, covering climate change, paleontology, biology and space. Mindy studied film at Columbia University; prior to LS, she produced, wrote and directed media for the American Museum of Natural History in NYC. Her videos about dinosaurs, astrophysics, biodiversity and evolution appear in museums and science centers worldwide, earning awards such as the CINE Golden Eagle and the Communicator Award of Excellence. Her writing has also appeared in Scientific American, The Washington Post, How It Works Magazine and CNN.
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