Fróðskaparrit - 01.01.1965, Qupperneq 98

106
True Hermaphroditism
in other characteristical conditions caused by chromosomal ab-
normities. The ovarian part of the gonad is much like the gona-
dal tissue found in Turner’s syndrome. In these patients the ovary
is lacking egg cells. The testicular tissue is resembling that found
in Klinefelter’s syndrome, where the spermiducts are transformed
to thick-walled ducts with hyaline deposits in the wall, com-
pletely lacking spermcells. The only characteristic cell found is
the Sertoli cell. Even these cells are sometimes not found. Be-
tween the spermiducts the Leydig’s cells are found in increased
amount, often in adenomatoid masses. The remnants of the
mesonephos found in this patient are previously found in some
cases of hermaphroditism and Turner’s syndrome, but never in
Klinefelter’s syndrome.
The chromosome analysis were performed on skin cells after
'biopsy from the left and right arm of the patient. These biopsies
were sent by ship from the Faroe Islands to Copenhagen kept in
special nutritious fluid. They started to grow after being cut
into small pieces and kept in a constant temperature of 37°
Celsius at Arvebiologisk Institut in Copenhagen. After a few
weeks the growth was pronounced and several new cells could
be observed. By Special technique the cell chromosomes were
spread, scrutinized, counted and classified. In fig 7 the chromo-
somes of one of the cells are shown. In fig. 8 the chromosomes
are cut out and arranged by size and other characteristics accor-
ding to the system of Denver. It is shown that the patient has
chromosomes as a normal female — 46 chromosomes and among
these the two sex chromosomes, XX, seen in the second row
of fig 8. Incidentally, it is impossible to distinguish the sex
chromosomes from the other autosomes in the same row. The
sex-chromatin test was positive as shown in fig. 5.
Case 2. This case was previously thoroughly investigated by Zachariae
and reported in 19 5 523. As chromosome analysis on cells from
this patient has not been performed previously, the results of
this analysis are reported in connection with case 1.
This second patient was registred and reared as a male. His
five siblings and his parents were healthy without any known
abnormality. Shortly after the birth it was noted that the penis
was small and curved with penoscrotal hypospadias. At the age
of 25 he married a normal woman and the marital relations were
quite normal. The marriage was childless.
At 28 years of age he sustained an injury which gave rise to
haematoma and infection in the right half of the scrotum. Micro-