A Lacaune breed meat sheep presented with phenotypic intersexuality
Particularité du freemartinisme chez les ovins : à propos d’un cas d’intersexualité
Résumé
The animal had a vulva and peniform clitoris and two testicles in the inguinal region. Histologically, the testicular parenchyma included Leydig and Sertoli cells. However, spermatozoa were absent. Sex differentiation disorders can consist of three forms: true hermaphroditism, male pseudohermaphroditism or free-martinism. The diagnosis of freemartinism was made by examination of the blood karyotype and confirmed by detection of the sry gene by polymerase chain reaction and hormonal assays.The prevalence of this developmental abnormality is underestimated in sheep.