Gonadal Steroid Hormones Levels in a Bitch with True Bilateral Hermaphroditism

Intersexualism occurs in all species of mammals and the pathogenesis of abnormal development of the gonads is still unclear. Thus, the aim of this report is to describe the hormonal and histopathological findings from a case of bilateral true hermaphroditism in a mixed-breed bitch due to the few case reports published involving hormonal levels in dogs with intersexuality. Serum was obtained from the animal before surgery and was submitted to hormone measurements. Progesterone and testosterone were evaluated by radioimnunoassay and estrogen by ELISA (immune-enzymatic assay). The values of progesterone, testosterone and estrogen concentrations were 2.26 ng/mL, 0.05 ng/mL and 9.7 pg/mL, respectively. The proportion of ovarian tissue found in the ovotestes after histopathological examination was higher in relation to seminiferous tubules, which may explain the low level of serum testosterone. Low concentration of serum testosterone may have contributed to the partial virilization of external genitalia, since the animal only had clitoral hypertrophy. Estrogen and progesterone levels found were compatible with the initial stage of estrus (preovulatory LH (luteinizing hormone) surge), which shows that ovarian follicles found in the bilateral ovotestes contributed to the occurrence of the estrous cycle before surgery. Quantitation of serum hormones may also shed light on the cause of disturbances in sex differentiation in canine species. More studies are needed to elucidate the real cause of intersex in dogs.