Traumatic phallic amputation during infancy.

An unusual case of phallic amputation is reported because it highlights the complex issues involved in considering transsexual surgery during early life. The lack of ambiguity regarding this patient's physiological gender at the age of 15 months permitted his management to rest solely on the long-range social and developmental implications of his phallic defect. The impact of this event on the child's family, on the community, and on professional workers was profound, leading to a series of circumstances that affected objectivity and the decision-making process. The decision to retain the male gender was based on the uncertain long-range effects of the loss of capacity for procreation and the surgical procedures and hormone therapy necessitated by gender change.