Reproductive Anatomy Abnormalities

Question 1

How do the different genital tracts develop from embryos?

Answer 1

• Early male and female embryos possess both Mullerian ducts and Wolffian ducts

Question 2

What are the Chromosomal abnormalities of animals?

Answer 2

• XXX syndrome, XXXY syndrome, and XO syndrome
  
  • Occasionally identified
  • Appear normal, but apparent infertility

Question 3

What are intersexes?

Answer 3

• Hermaphrodites
• pseudohermaphrodites
• Freemartins

Question 4

What is a hermaphrodite?

Answer 4

• Both ovarian & testicular tissue present
  
  • 1 ovary + 1 testicle OR 1 ovotestis + 1 ovary, etc
• Presented for infertility or abnormal genetalia
• Genetic linked trait
  
  • parents and siblings should be sterilized

Question 5

What does a Chromosomal Female hermaphrodite look like?

Answer 5

• Chromosomal females (XX):
  
  • Female tract (vulva, clitoris, uterus, oviducts)
    
    • range form normal to enlarged/abnormal appearance
  • Also have epididymes and vas deferens

Question 6

What does a Chromosomal Male hermaphrodite look like?

Answer 6

• Male tract (testes, epididymes, vas deferens) present
• Prepuce is abnormally shaped and penis is hypoplastic
• Uterus also present

Question 7

What is a Pseudohermaphrodite?

Answer 7

• Agreement of chromosomal and gonadal sex, but internal or external genitalia are ambiguous
  *

Question 8

What is a Female Pseudohermaphrodite?

Answer 8

• XX chromosomes and ovaries
• Androgen-dependent genitalia is masculinized
• Reported if androgen/progesterone administration to dam during gestation

Question 9

What is a Male Pseudohermaphrodite?

Answer 9

• XY chromosomes and testes
• Mullerian ducts are retained to some extent
• Penis, prepuce, and testicles appear normal, but often cryptorchid

Question 10

What is a Freemartin? How does it occur?

Answer 10

• Occurs in cattle and occasionally goats
• Abnormalities in female co-twin with male fetus - 95% of cases
• Shared blood via jointed fetal vessels allow Mullerian inhibiting substance (testosterone) and other substances to affect tubular tract and external genitalia

Question 11

What abnomalities are seen in the female co-twin with male fetus?

Answer 11

• Short/absent vagina
• elongated vulva
• increased anal-vulvar distance
• rudimentary seminal vesicles
• ovotestes
• others

Question 12

What are some ovarian abnormalities?

Answer 12

• Ovarian agenesis
• Ovarian hypoplasia
• Supernumery ovaries

Question 13

What are some uterine tube abnormalities?

Answer 13

• Ductal hypoplasia (Holstein)
• White heifer disease
  
  • segmental hypoplasia
  • may cycle normally but cannot maintain pregnancy

Question 14

What are some Vulva/Vagina abnormalities?

Answer 14

• Persistent hymen
  
  • a form of segmental hypoplasia
  • failure of mullerian ducts and urogenital sinus to fuse properly

Question 15

What are some Testicle/Spermatic cord abnormalities?

Answer 15

• Cryptorchidism

Question 16

What is Cryptorchidism?

Answer 16

• Inherited defect
• Testicular decent is a 3 step process:
  
  1. Peri-renal to peritoneal side of inguinal canal
  2. through the inguinal canal
  3. from scrotal side of inguinal canal to scrotum

Question 17

What causes Testicular hypoplasia?

Answer 17

• Chromosomal abnormalities
• Endocrine exposure during gestation
• Unknown

Question 18

what is the AVMA’s stance on correction of cryptorchidism?

Answer 18

“…it is unethical to surgically correct Cryptorchidism without also rendering the animal incapable of reproduction…”

Question 19

Is Freemartinism genetic?

Answer 19

no, therefore no reason to cull dam