A Case of Dicephalus Conjoined Male Twins

Krishnaveni C Changalvala; Sridevi N Srinivasareddy; Shiny Vinila H Bijja; Mallikarjuna B Sanikop

Volume : IV, Issue : VII, July - 2015

A Case of Dicephalus Conjoined Male Twins

Krishnaveni C Changalvala, Sridevi N Srinivasareddy, Shiny Vinila H Bijja, Mallikarjuna B Sanikop

Abstract :

Dicephalus is a very rare congenital anomaly of twin fetuses. It is defined as two faces with conjoined head where neck and trunk are fused, with one set of reproductive organs and one verteal column; the thoracic cage may or may not be fused. Among museum specimens we found a male fetus of 28 to 30 weeks of gestational age with two heads, single trunk, two upper limbs and two lower limbs. The specimen was studied by radiology. X–ray examination revealed single trunk with two verteal columns, two thoracic cages and single sacral and pelvic regions. Literature data suggest that this type of anomaly is highly unusual, male dicephalus dipus diachius being especially rare and the survival rate is poor.