It has been revealed that a 78-year-old man had three penises. This is an unprecedented case in medical history with no known similar instances. According to an article published in the Journal of Medical Case Reports, the man with three penises was unaware of his condition, meaning he died without ever knowing he had three penises. A rare congenital defect diagnosed as ‘triphallia’ led to this unique situation. In a case published last week in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Journal of Medical Case Reports, a 78-year-old man was diagnosed with a rare congenital defect called ‘triphallia’, meaning having three penises.

Interestingly, medical students from the University of Birmingham School of Medicine discovered this ‘remarkable anatomical variation’ that had only been seen once before when the individual had already passed away, likely living his entire life unaware of it. Diphallia, known as the ‘double penis syndrome’, is a highly rare disorder believed to affect only one in every five to six million males, but ‘triphallia’ meaning ‘triple penis’ was almost unheard of. The only documented case belonged to a newborn baby in Iraq in 2020.

During the examination by medical students, the cadaver described as a ‘white male of 6 feet tall’ initially appeared normal. However, upon closer inspection, they made a shocking discovery. Doctors revealed finding ‘two small extra penises vertically positioned behind and below the main penis hidden in the scrotum.’

Each penis had its own erectile chambers and glans, but the main penis and the additional ones shared the same urethra. Experts announced that this peculiar condition likely developed in early stages of genital development in the womb, specifically between the fourth and seventh weeks of pregnancy. Specialists suggest that the ‘triphallia’ disorder, stumbled upon by chance, might be more prevalent than previously thought, able to remain hidden without any symptoms, thus hindering diagnosis.