Polyorchidism

Polyorchidism is the presence of more than two testicles in a single individual. It is a very rare congenital disorder, with fewer than 200 human cases reported in the medical literature, alongside six documented veterinary cases. The most common form of the condition is triorchidism, also called tritestes, in which three testicles are present rather than two. Polyorchidism is typically identified through ultrasound examination of the testicles, though physicians recommend that any ultrasound finding be confirmed through histological examination of tissue before a diagnosis is finalized, since imaging alone can be misleading in distinguishing a genuine extra testicle from other scrotal masses. The condition is usually asymptomatic, meaning that most people who have it experience no related symptoms and may go undiagnosed unless the extra testicle is found incidentally during imaging performed for another reason or during a routine examination. A man who has polyorchidism is described, in the medical literature, as a polyorchid.