Sex Chromosome Anomalies

Also known as: sex chromosome abnormalities, sex chromosome disorders.

What are sex chromosome anomalies?

Most humans have 46 chromosomes in their cells, which occur in pairs for a total of 23. Twenty-two of these pairs are quite similar in both males and females, but the final pair is the sex chromosomes. This occurs typically as “XX” in women and “XY” in men. When there are differences in these chromosomes from the usual presentation, these are known as sex chromosome anomalies.

 
What causes sex chromosome anomalies?

Sex chromosome anomalies are caused by genetic mutations. These anomalies can either be passed along from parents to children or occur at random for unknown reasons.
 

What are the symptoms of sex chromosome anomalies?

Symptoms can vary widely depending on what type of sex chromosome anomaly is present. They can range from having the sexual and physical characteristics of the opposite gender to having more prominent male or female characteristics to having mental or physical disabilities, among many other symptoms.
 

What are sex chromosome anomalies care options?

There is no cure for sex chromosome anomalies. In some cases, hormone therapy, reconstructive surgeries or other forms of therapy can help resolve some of the issues related to sex chromosome anomalies.

Reviewed by: Paul A Cardenas, MD

This page was last updated on: March 20, 2019 04:09 PM