Aphallia: A Rare Congenital Anomaly in a Low-Resource Setting

Abstract

Aphallia is a very uncommon congenital condition with an incidence of about one in 30 million births. It is characterized by the absence of a penis which is due to the failure of the genital tubercle to form or develop fully. In this case report, we present a 3-month-old male infant with aphallia from a remote part of Eritrea who was subsequently lost to follow-up and discuss the challenges that are faced when dealing with such a complex congenital anomaly in a developing country. This report highlights the importance of having accessible healthcare services for early detection, appropriate management, and counseling of the affected individual and their families. Finally, healthcare providers should work together in the future to improve the quality of life of affected individuals and their families as the management of aphallia requires multidisciplinary collaboration and comprehensive care to reduce the potential long-term psychological and social consequences of the condition.