Review

Ambiguous Genitalia in the Newborn

Kenneth R Feingold¹, S. Faisal Ahmed², Bradley Anawalt³, Marc R Blackman⁴, Alison Boyce⁵, George Chrousos⁶, Emiliano Corpas⁷, Wouter W de Herder⁸, Ketan Dhatariya⁹, Kathleen Dungan¹⁰, Johannes Hofland¹¹, Sanjay Kalra¹², Gregory Kaltsas¹³, Nitin Kapoor¹⁴, Christian Koch¹⁵, Peter Kopp¹⁶, Márta Korbonits¹⁷, Christopher S Kovacs¹⁸, Wendy Kuohung¹⁹, Blandine Laferrère²⁰, Miles Levy²¹, Elizabeth A McGee²², Robert McLachlan²³, Radhika Muzumdar²⁴, Jonathan Purnell²⁵, Rodolfo Rey²⁶, Rakesh Sahay²⁷, Amy S Shah²⁸, Frederick Singer²⁹, Mark A Sperling³⁰, Constantine A Stratakis³¹, Dace L Trence³², Don P Wilson³³

, editors.

In: Endotext [Internet]. South Dartmouth (MA): MDText.com, Inc.; 2000.

2023 Nov 13.

Affiliations

¹ Professor of Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetology, University Children’s Hospital and University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
² Professor of Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetology, Marmara University, School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey

Book Affiliations

¹ Professor of Medicine Emeritus, University of California, San Francisco, CA
² Developmental Endocrinology Research Group, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
³ Chief of Medicine at the University of Washington Medical Center and Professor and Vice Chair of the Department of Medicine, University of Washington
⁴ Sr. Physician Scientist, Washington DC VA Medical Center; Professor of Medicine & Rehabilitation Medicine, Georgetown University; Clinical Professor of Medicine, Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, George Washington University; and Professor of Medicine (Part-time), Johns Hopkins University
⁵ Pediatric Endocrinologist and Associate Research Physician in the Skeletal Diseases and Mineral Homeostasis Section, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health
⁶ Professor of Pediatrics and Endocrinology, Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes, First Department of Pediatrics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, "Aghia Sophia" Children's Hospital, Athens, Greece
⁷ M.D. Ph.D in Gerontology. Honorary Professor of Medicine, Universidad de Alcalá, Madrid. Consultant in Endocrinology, Hospital HLA Guadalajara (Spain).
⁸ Professor of Endocrine Oncology, Erasmus MC and Erasmus MC Cancer Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
⁹ Consultant in Diabetes, Endocrinology and General Medicine, Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK.
¹⁰ Professor of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, Ohio State University
¹¹ Consultant Endocrinologist, Erasmus MC and Erasmus MC Cancer Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
¹² Consultant Endocrinologist, Department of Endocrinology, Bharti Hospital, Karnal, India
¹³ Professor of General Medicine-Endocrinology, 1st Department of Propaedeutic Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
¹⁴ Professor of Endocrinology, Department of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Christian Medical College & Hospital, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Science, The University of Melbourne, Australia.
¹⁵ Professor, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee
¹⁶ Professor of Medicine and Chief of the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetology and Metabolism, University of Lausanne, Switzerland
¹⁷ Professor of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Centre Lead for Endocrinology and Deputy Institute Director, William Harvey Research Institute, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, England
¹⁸ University Research Professor and Professor of Medicine (Endocrinology and Metabolism), Obstetrics & Gynecology, and BioMedical Sciences, at Memorial University of Newfoundland in St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada.
¹⁹ Director of the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology at Boston Medical Center and an Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Boston University School of Medicine
²⁰ Professor of Medicine, New York Nutrition Obesity Research Center, Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
²¹ Consultant endocrinologist at University Hospitals of Leicester and Honorary Associate Professor at Leicester University
²² Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Vermont and Director of the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility. Burlington, Vermont
²³ Director of Clinical Research, Hudson Institute of Medical Research; Consultant Endocrinologist, Monash Medical Centre, Melbourne, Australia
²⁴ Allan L. Drash Endowed Chair, Chief, Division of Endocrinology and Diabetes, UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, Professor of Pediatrics and Cell Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA
²⁵ Professor of Medicine, Knight Cardiovascular Institute and the Division of Endocrinology, and Associate Director, Bob and Charlee Moore Institute for Nutrition and Wellness, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR
²⁶ Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinológicas “Dr. César Bergadá” (CEDIE), CONICET-FEI-División de Endocrinología, Hospital de Niños Ricardo Gutiérrez, Gallo 1330, C1425EFD Buenos Aires; and Departamento de Histología, Biología Celular, Embriología y Genética, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, C1121ABG Buenos Aires, Argentina
²⁷ Professor and Head of Department of Endocrinology, Osmania Medical College and Osmania General Hospital, Hyderabad, India.
²⁸ Professor of Pediatrics, The University of Cincinnati, Department of Pediatrics and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Division of Endocrinology, Cincinnati, OH, USA
²⁹ Director of the Endocrine/Bone Disease Program, Saint Johns Cancer Institute at Saint John’s Health Center, Santa Monica, CA; Clinical Professor of Medicine, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA
³⁰ Professorial Lecturer, Division of Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY. Emeritus Professor and Chair, Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh.
³¹ CSO, ELPEN, Inc. & Director, Research Institute, Athens, Greece & Senior Investigator, Human Genetics & Precision Medicine, FORTH (ITE), Heraklion, Greece. Emeritus Scientific Director & Senior Investigator, NICHD, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
³² Professor of Medicine, Emeritus, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
³³ Endowed Chair, Cardiovascular Health and Risk Prevention, Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes, Cook Children's Medical Center, Fort Worth, TX

PMID: 25905391
Bookshelf ID: NBK279168

Free Books & Documents

Review

Ambiguous Genitalia in the Newborn

Christa E. Flück et al.

Free Books & Documents

In: Endotext [Internet]. South Dartmouth (MA): MDText.com, Inc.; 2000.

2023 Nov 13.

Authors

Christa E. Flück¹, Tülay Güran²

Book Editors

Affiliations

¹ Professor of Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetology, University Children’s Hospital and University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
² Professor of Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetology, Marmara University, School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey

Book Affiliations

¹ Professor of Medicine Emeritus, University of California, San Francisco, CA
² Developmental Endocrinology Research Group, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
³ Chief of Medicine at the University of Washington Medical Center and Professor and Vice Chair of the Department of Medicine, University of Washington
⁴ Sr. Physician Scientist, Washington DC VA Medical Center; Professor of Medicine & Rehabilitation Medicine, Georgetown University; Clinical Professor of Medicine, Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, George Washington University; and Professor of Medicine (Part-time), Johns Hopkins University
⁵ Pediatric Endocrinologist and Associate Research Physician in the Skeletal Diseases and Mineral Homeostasis Section, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health
⁶ Professor of Pediatrics and Endocrinology, Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes, First Department of Pediatrics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, "Aghia Sophia" Children's Hospital, Athens, Greece
⁷ M.D. Ph.D in Gerontology. Honorary Professor of Medicine, Universidad de Alcalá, Madrid. Consultant in Endocrinology, Hospital HLA Guadalajara (Spain).
⁸ Professor of Endocrine Oncology, Erasmus MC and Erasmus MC Cancer Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
⁹ Consultant in Diabetes, Endocrinology and General Medicine, Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK.
¹⁰ Professor of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, Ohio State University
¹¹ Consultant Endocrinologist, Erasmus MC and Erasmus MC Cancer Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
¹² Consultant Endocrinologist, Department of Endocrinology, Bharti Hospital, Karnal, India
¹³ Professor of General Medicine-Endocrinology, 1st Department of Propaedeutic Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
¹⁴ Professor of Endocrinology, Department of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Christian Medical College & Hospital, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Science, The University of Melbourne, Australia.
¹⁵ Professor, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee
¹⁶ Professor of Medicine and Chief of the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetology and Metabolism, University of Lausanne, Switzerland
¹⁷ Professor of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Centre Lead for Endocrinology and Deputy Institute Director, William Harvey Research Institute, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, England
¹⁸ University Research Professor and Professor of Medicine (Endocrinology and Metabolism), Obstetrics & Gynecology, and BioMedical Sciences, at Memorial University of Newfoundland in St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada.
¹⁹ Director of the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology at Boston Medical Center and an Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Boston University School of Medicine
²⁰ Professor of Medicine, New York Nutrition Obesity Research Center, Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
²¹ Consultant endocrinologist at University Hospitals of Leicester and Honorary Associate Professor at Leicester University
²² Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Vermont and Director of the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility. Burlington, Vermont
²³ Director of Clinical Research, Hudson Institute of Medical Research; Consultant Endocrinologist, Monash Medical Centre, Melbourne, Australia
²⁴ Allan L. Drash Endowed Chair, Chief, Division of Endocrinology and Diabetes, UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, Professor of Pediatrics and Cell Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA
²⁵ Professor of Medicine, Knight Cardiovascular Institute and the Division of Endocrinology, and Associate Director, Bob and Charlee Moore Institute for Nutrition and Wellness, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR
²⁶ Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinológicas “Dr. César Bergadá” (CEDIE), CONICET-FEI-División de Endocrinología, Hospital de Niños Ricardo Gutiérrez, Gallo 1330, C1425EFD Buenos Aires; and Departamento de Histología, Biología Celular, Embriología y Genética, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, C1121ABG Buenos Aires, Argentina
²⁷ Professor and Head of Department of Endocrinology, Osmania Medical College and Osmania General Hospital, Hyderabad, India.
²⁸ Professor of Pediatrics, The University of Cincinnati, Department of Pediatrics and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Division of Endocrinology, Cincinnati, OH, USA
²⁹ Director of the Endocrine/Bone Disease Program, Saint Johns Cancer Institute at Saint John’s Health Center, Santa Monica, CA; Clinical Professor of Medicine, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA
³⁰ Professorial Lecturer, Division of Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY. Emeritus Professor and Chair, Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh.
³¹ CSO, ELPEN, Inc. & Director, Research Institute, Athens, Greece & Senior Investigator, Human Genetics & Precision Medicine, FORTH (ITE), Heraklion, Greece. Emeritus Scientific Director & Senior Investigator, NICHD, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
³² Professor of Medicine, Emeritus, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
³³ Endowed Chair, Cardiovascular Health and Risk Prevention, Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes, Cook Children's Medical Center, Fort Worth, TX

PMID: 25905391
Bookshelf ID: NBK279168

Excerpt

Ambiguous genitalia in a newborn are the clinical sign of atypical sexual development of the external genitalia in utero. This condition is rare and can result from various underlying factors, including certain disorders with potentially severe consequences, such as cortisol deficiency due to congenital adrenal hyperplasia. Therefore, it is crucial to promptly determine etiology when ambiguity is observed. The formation of typical male or female external genitalia is a complex process involving a cascade of genetic and physiological events that begin with sex determination and progress through the differentiation of internal and external reproductive structures. When this process is disrupted and does not occur in the typical manner, it is referred to as a difference or disorder of sex development (DSD). Not all DSD cases present with ambiguous genitalia at birth; for example, complete androgen insensitivity syndrome does not, but all cases of ambiguous genitalia are the result of a DSD. This chapter focuses on genital ambiguity associated with DSD in newborns who have either a 46,XY or 46,XX chromosomal sex. However, DSD with genital ambiguity may also be observed in newborns with other combinations of sex chromosomes, such as 45,X/46,XY. The chapter offers a comprehensive overview of the evaluation and management of newborns with ambiguous genitalia. It emphasizes the importance of a structured medical assessment of the external genitalia to diagnose and determine the underlying cause of genital ambiguity. It includes tables for differential diagnosis and step-by-step workup algorithms to guide medical professionals in their evaluation. It also includes additional information on structured physical assessments of external genitalia and tables with normative values for hormonal measurements, which are recommended in the diagnostic process. As the etiology of genital ambiguity in newborns is diverse and can have significant implications for management, the authors stress that obtaining an accurate diagnosis through a professional medical workup is crucial. The chapter highlights the recommendation for newborns with ambiguous genitalia (DSD) to be cared for by highly specialized, interdisciplinary DSD teams. These teams are equipped with medical and psychosocial expertise, and specialized psychologists are available to support parents and caregivers. The chapter recognizes that having a child with ambiguous genitalia can be very stressful for parents. It underscores the importance of early education, access to expert care through DSD network teams, psychological support, shared decision-making, and promoting acceptance and inclusivity. By providing comprehensive support and guidance, families can better navigate the challenges and uncertainties they may encounter when caring for a newborn with ambiguous genitalia. For complete coverage of all related areas of Endocrinology, please visit our on-line FREE web-text, WWW.ENDOTEXT.ORG.

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References

1. Hughes IA, Houk C, Ahmed SF, Lee PA. Consensus statement on management of intersex disorders. Arch Dis Child. 2006;91(7):554-63. - PMC - PubMed
1. Halil H, Oguz SS. Establishment of normative data for stretched penile length in Turkish preterm and term newborns. Turk J Pediatr. 2017;59(3):269-73. - PubMed
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Ambiguous Genitalia in the Newborn

Affiliations

Book Affiliations

Ambiguous Genitalia in the Newborn

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Book Affiliations

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