An acardiac twin with advanced brain development and a minor form of holoprosencephaly and intracerebral retina-like pigmented tissue: a case report and review of the literature

Pediatr Dev Pathol. 2011 Sep-Oct;14(5):411-7. doi: 10.2350/10-09-0916-CR.1. Epub 2011 Apr 13.

Abstract

The development of an acardiac twin in a monochorionic multiple pregnancy is a rare and severe complication of abnormal placental vascular anastomoses. These malformed fetuses present with a very bizarre morphology and a plethora of different malformations. However, all acardiac twins show either a complete absence or an anlage of the heart. Cerebral development is usually poor. We report, according to our review of the literature, for the first time, a very unusual case of acardius with features of acardius amorphus and acormus (fused head and malformed axial skeleton without macroscopically detectable internal organs) with lobar holoprosencephaly and intracerebral pigmented retina-like tissue.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Abnormalities, Multiple*
  • Adult
  • Brain / abnormalities*
  • Cerebral Cortex / abnormalities*
  • Diseases in Twins*
  • Female
  • Fetofetal Transfusion / diagnosis*
  • Heart Defects, Congenital / pathology*
  • Holoprosencephaly / pathology*
  • Humans
  • Pigmentation
  • Pregnancy
  • Retina
  • Ultrasonography, Prenatal