What is Disorder of sexual differentiation ?

A disorder of sexual differentiation is when patients' external genitals don't match the internal reproductive organs. This makes the determination of the sex of the child difficult. The disorder of sexual differentiation is rare and complex and requires specialized care and treatment.

Causes of disorders of sexual differentiation

The cause of the disorder of sexual differentiation is unknown, but studies reveal that it is a congenital disability, and the defect happens in the fetal stage of life. Some examples include:

• Complete androgen insensitivity – where cells do not respond to male hormones, causing a genetic male to develop outwardly as a girl
• Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) – when the body produces too much of a male sex hormone, causing abnormal male development in females
• Vaginal agenesis – where a girl is born without a vagina

Symptoms of disorders of sexual differentiation

Symptoms mainly depend on underlying conditions. As for girls, the symptoms may be:

• Ambiguous genitalia at birth
• Enlarged clitoris
• Partial labial fusion
• Partial labial fusion
• Labial or groin masses which may turn out to be testes
• Delayed or absent puberty
• Unexpected changes at puberty, such as excessive hair growth