A man in the UK with three penises left much to ponder regarding his condition, which is incredibly rare. This British individual was the second known case of this anomaly.
This tale is no joke, although it might seem like it at first glance.
Sadly, the world only became aware of this man’s unique condition after his passing.
At 78, the Birmingham resident had donated his body to the University of Birmingham Medical School after his death, leading to the discovery.
Students were likely quite astonished upon encountering his unusual anatomy during dissection.
Medical professionals at the school pointed out the extreme rarity of having more than one penis, let alone three.
They explained that there are only a hundred documented cases of diphallia (having two penises) worldwide, and just one other known instance of triphallia.
The previous recorded case was in 2020, involving a three-month-old baby who was discovered to have the condition but remained anonymous.
While it might be presumed that someone with three penises might boast about it, doctors suggest the elderly man may not have been aware, given their location.
Only one of the three was functional, with the other two situated within the skin of the scrotum sac.
This may explain why the man was unaware of the extent of his anatomy.
The primary and secondary penises shared a urethra, which ‘coursed through the secondary penis prior to its passage through the primary penis.’
Researchers from the Journal of Medical Case Reports noted this month: “These penile morphological abnormalities may not have been identified during his life.
“However, he may have lived with functional deficits due to the abnormal anatomy of the region, which may include urinary tract infections, erectile dysfunction or fertility issues.”
Despite the puzzling nature of how the man was unaware, a diagram in the journal sheds light on how easily it could have gone unnoticed.
He might have simply assumed he had an unusually shaped scrotum rather than additional appendages.
The journal further suggested that polyphallia, the condition of having multiple penises, may be more prevalent than previously believed.