Korean J Perinatol.
2004 Dec;15(4):393-398.
A Case of Thoracopagus
- Affiliations
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- 1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Keimyung University School of Medicine, Daegu, Korea. k1011@dsmc.or.kr
- 2Department of Pathology, Fatima Hospital, Daegu, Korea.
Abstract
- The estimated incidence of conjoined twins is one in 50,000 births, however, over 60% are stillborn, making the observed incidence around one per 200,000 live-births. Thoracopagus is the most common variety of conjoined twins accompanying with congenital heart disease 75%, fusion of alimentary tracts 50%, single external biliary tract 25%. Approximately 90% of thoracopagus conjoined twins are not candidates for surgical separation due to the high degree of cardiac union and the complexity of cardiovascular anomalies. With improvement in prenatal diagnosis and routine ultrasound monitoring of pregnancies, these cases are more commonly being diagnosed prenatally. Accurate diagnosis of the shared anatomy and associated malformations is crucial for counseling of the affected families regarding outcome as well as planning potential postnatal surgical separation. We experienced a case of thoracopagus with single conjoined heart that was diagnosed by ultrasonography at 15 weeks of gestation in 33 years old woman. So we present this case with a brief review of literatures.
