Q50-Q56: Congenital malformations of genital organs

Q56: Indeterminate sex and pseudohermaphroditism

Indeterminate sex and pseudohermaphroditism, classified under the Q56 range in the ICD-10, are conditions related to atypical development of physical sex characteristics. Indeterminate sex refers to instances where the sex of a newborn cannot be readily established due to ambiguous genitalia. Pseudohermaphroditism involves external genitalia that do not match the individual's internal (gonadal) sex. For example, a person may be genetically male (XY), but their external sex characteristics appear female and vice versa. These conditions arise from diverse factors such as genetic anomalies, hormonal imbalances during fetal development, or issues with testes or ovaries functionality. Symptoms vary but primarily revolve around atypical genital appearance, inconsistencies between internal and external sexual characteristics, and can include atypical secondary sexual development during puberty. These conditions do not follow a disease progression model, but rather present as a state of being from birth. The primary systems affected are the reproductive and endocrine systems.