Abstract
Conjoined twins are incompletely separated monozygotic twins. They have long fascinated both medical profession and lay public. Such events are rare and occur in 1/50,000–1/100,000 births and 1 in 400 sets of monozygotic twins. Over 60% succumb in utero or are stillborn (Spitz 2005). It is a complication of monochorionic twinning at 13–15 days after conception.
References
Awashi, M., Narlawar, R., Hira, P., et al. (2001). Fetus in fetu. Rare cause of a lump in an adult’s abdomen. Australasian Radiology, 45, 354–356.
Baken, L., Rousian, M., Kompanje, E. J. O., et al. (2013). Diagnostic techniques and criteria for first-trimester conjoined twin documentation: A review of the literature illustrated by three recent cases. Obstetrical and Gynecological Survey, 68, 743–752.
Benirschke, K. (1998). Sonographic diagnosis of conjoined twinning. Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology, 11, 241.
Benirschke, K., Temple, W. W., & Bloor, C. M. (1978). Conjoined twin: Nosologic and congenital malformation. Birth Defects Original Article Series, 15, 179–192.
Chen, C.-P., Lee, C.-C., Liu, F.-F., et al. (1997). Prenatal diagnosis of cephalothoracopagus janiceps monosymmetros. Prenatal Diagnosis, 17, 384–388.
Chou, S. Y., Liang, S. J., Wu, C. F., et al. (2001). Sacral parasite conjoined twin. Obstetrics and Gynecology, 98, 938–940.
Edmonds, L. D., & Layde, P. M. (1982). Conjoined twins in the United States. 1970–1977. Teratology, 25, 301–308.
Gilbert-Barness, E., Debich-Spicer, D., & Opitz, J. M. (2003). Conjoined twins: Morphogenesis of the heart and a review. American Journal of Medical Genetics, 120A, 568–582.
Gore, R. M., Filly, R. A., & Parer, J. T. (1982). Sonographic antepartum diagnosis of conjoined twins. Its impact on obstetric management. Journal of the American Medical Association, 247, 3351–3353.
Guttmacher, A. F. (1967). Biographical notes on some famous conjoined twins. Birth Defects Original Article Series, III(1), 10–17.
Harper, R. G., Kenigsberg, K., Sia, C. G., et al. (1980). Xiphopagus conjoined twin: A 300-year review of the obstetric, morphopathologic, neonatal, and surgical parameters. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 137, 617–629.
Keats, A. S., Cave, P. E., Slataper, E. L., et al. (1967). Conjoined twins-A review of anesthetic management for separating operations. Birth Defects Original Article Series, III(1), 80–88.
Kuroda, K., Kamei, Y., Kozuma, S., et al. (2000). Prenatal evaluation of cephalopagus conjoined twins by means of three-dimensional ultrasound at 13 weeks of pregnancy. Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology, 16, 264–266.
Lee, M., Gosain, A. K., & Becker, D. (2011). The bioethics of separating conjoined twins in plastic surgery. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 128, 328e–334e.
Maymon, R., Halperin, R., Weinraub, Z., et al. (1998). Three-dimensional transvaginal sonography of conjoined twins at 10 weeks: A case report. Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology, 11, 292–294.
McHugh, K., Kiely, E. M., & Spitz, L. (2006). Imaging of conjoined twins. Pediatric Radiology, 36, 899–910.
Nastanski, F., & Downey, E. C. (2001). Fetus in fetu: A rare cause of a neonatal mass. Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology, 18, 72–75.
Petit, T., Raynal, P., Ravasse, P., et al. (2001). Prenatal sonographic diagnosis of a twinning epigastric heteropagus. Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology, 17, 534–535.
Rudolph, A. J., Michaels, J. P., & Nichols, B. L. (1967). Obstetric management of conjoined twins. Birth Defects Original Article Series, III(1), 28–37.
Sills, E. S., Vrbikova, J., & Kastratovic-Kotlica, B. (2001). Conjoined twins, conception, pregnancy, and delivery: A reproductive history of the pygopagus Blažek sisters (1878–1922). American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 185, 1396–1402.
Spencer, R. (1996). Anatomic description of conjoined twins: A plea for standardized terminology. Journal of Pediatric Surgery, 31, 941–944.
Spencer, R. (2000a). Theoretical and analytical embryology of conjoined twins: Part I: Embryogenesis. Clinical Anatomy, 13, 36–53.
Spencer, R. (2000b). Theoretical and analytical embryology of conjoined twins: Part II: Adjustments to union. Clinical Anatomy, 13, 97–120.
Spencer, R. (2001). Parasitic conjoined twins: External, internal (fetuses in fetu and teratomas), and detached (acardiacs). Clinical Anatomy, 14, 428–444.
Spitz, L. (2005). Conjoined twins (Review). Prenatal Diagnosis, 25, 814–819.
Spitz, L., & Kiely, E. M. (2002). Experience in the management of conjoined twins. The British Journal of Surgery, 89, 1188–1192.
Wilcox, D. T., Quinn, F. M., Spitz, L., et al. (1998). Urological problems in conjoined twins. British Journal of Urology, 81, 905–910.
Winkler, N., Kennedy, A., Byrne, J., et al. (2008). The imaging spectrum of conjoined twins. Ultrasound Quarterly, 24, 249–255.
Zimmermann, A. A. (1967). Embryological and anatomic considerations of conjoined twins. Birth Defects, 3, 18–27.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2017 Springer Science+Business Media LLC
About this entry
Cite this entry
Chen, H. (2017). Conjoined Twins. In: Atlas of Genetic Diagnosis and Counseling. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-2401-1_57
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-2401-1_57
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-2400-4
Online ISBN: 978-1-4939-2401-1
eBook Packages: MedicineReference Module Medicine