CO2 laser clitorectomy for clitoral hyperplasia containing os clitoris and vulvoplasty for recessed vulva in a female pseudohermaphrodite dog

Abstract

A 1-year-old spayed female Welsh corgi presented with a history of a protruding enlarged clitoris, frequent licking of the vulvar region, pain on urination, and mucopurulent vulvar discharge. The dog was diagnosed with clitoral hypertrophy with os clitoris and a recessed vulva with excessive perivulvar skin. Additionally, female pseudohermaphroditism was confirmed through physical and histopathological examinations, karyotyping, and sex-determining region Y (SRY) gene-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR). To alleviate the clinical signs, the dog underwent clitorectomy using CO2 laser and vulvoplasty. Clitorectomy performed using CO2 laser allowed reduction of postoperative pain, swelling, and intraoperative hemorrhage. At 3 postoperative days, there was a significant improvement in the patient’s clinical signs. This report suggests that the CO2 laser can facilitate correction of clitoral abnormalities compared with amputation surgery using a scalpel and monopolar electrocautery.