A recently published case report in the International Journal of Surgery Case Reports describes the world's first known instance of triphallia: a baby boy born in Iraq last year with three penises. The child underwent successful surgical correction.
Diphallia (or diphallia) is an exceptionally rare congenital urogenital anomaly involving complete or partial duplication of the penis. While an extra phallus poses no immediate danger, diphallia is frequently associated with other congenital issues—such as digestive and urinary tract anomalies—that demand specialized care.
The first case was documented in 1609 by physician Johann Georg Wecker. Roughly 100 cases have since appeared in medical literature, though underreporting is likely. Experts estimate diphallia affects about one in five million births.
Prior cases involved only penile duplication. This remarkable report marks the first triphallia, with the infant developing not two, but three penises.
Symptoms emerged at three months: scrotal swelling and perineal protrusions resembling pimples. Hospital evaluation confirmed a hydrocele (fluid accumulation around the testicle) plus two accessory penises. One, 2 cm long, extended from the primary penis's base with a glans; the other, 1 cm, sat below the scrotum. Both featured corpora cavernosa and spongiosa but no urethra.
After multidisciplinary consultation, surgeons drained the hydrocele and excised the extras. The procedure succeeded, with no complications after one year of follow-up.
Per the authors, such anomalies arise during penile embryogenesis—between weeks 3-6 of gestation—or at week 15 during ventral migration and fusion of mesodermal primordia.
Key contributing factors include prenatal exposure to drugs or endocrine disruptors, maternal infections, and disrupted homeotic genes.
