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First Trimester Diagnosis of Sirenomelia: A Case Report

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Journal of Fetal Medicine

Abstract

Sirenomelia or the mermaid syndrome is a rare and lethal congenital anomaly. It is characterized by fusion of lower extremities. It is associated with bilateral renal agenesis, anomalies of rectum, sacrum, cardiovascular system and abdominal wall. Pathognomic finding is a single umbilical artery, the ‘persistent vitelline artery’ which distinguishes sirenomelia from caudal regression syndrome. Sirenomelia has strong association with maternal diabetes mellitus. We report a case of sirenomelia diagnosed in first trimester. Early diagnosis was possible as protocol-based anatomic evaluation was performed. Diagnosis of sirenomelia is easier in first trimester as severe oligohydramnios in later gestation hampers the fetal evaluation.

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Correspondence to Shilpa Satarkar.

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Satarkar, S. First Trimester Diagnosis of Sirenomelia: A Case Report. J. Fetal Med. 6, 103–105 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40556-019-00198-7

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