A Clinical Case of an SRY-Positive Intersex/Hermaphrodite Holstein Cattle

A single-born, 15-month-old Holstein cattle, diagnosed as hermaphrodite, was investigated for estrous cycle, hormonal profiles, karyotype, presence of SRY, as well as anatomo-pathological and histological aspects. Normal continuous estrous cycles and basal testosterone levels were reported. Necropsy showed the presence of a female genital tract that mismatched a vulvar opening and a male pelvic urethra continued within a penis. Moreover, we observed islands of seminiferous tubules with the presence of germline cells, 2 pampiniform plexi, the corpus cavernosum, the penile urethra, the corpus spongiosum and the glans. Cytogenetic analyses of the blood cells showed an XX karyotype, while the molecular analyses revealed the presence of the SRY gene in several tissues, including blood. This is the first report in the scientific literature of an SRY-positive hermaphrodite Holstein cattle with continuous ovarian cycles. (C) 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel