Fetal fetus: Doctors extract ‘parasitic twin’ from girl’s brain

In a study conducted by scientists at Fudan University in Shanghai, China reported a surgical intervention in a 1-year-old girl whose twin brother’s fetus had been removed. “Fetus in a Fetus” (fetus in fetus) or “Parasitic Twins”

Report published in journal neurology .

However, they did have a separate amniotic sac responsible for “protecting” the developing fetus. live science.

exceptional case

These facts all indicate that the rest remained in the girl’s brain in a developmental process called folding of the black plates, which is essential for the formation of the brain and spinal cord structures.

in fact, At the scientific level, only about 200 cases of fetal fetuses have been documented , of which only 28 occurred intracranially. In most cases, the “parasitic twin” remains in the abdomen of the other fetus as a mass of tissue lining the abdominal wall. 1 in 500,000 live births.

It was surgically removed from a 1-year-old brain. sauce:@ Green Journal🧵 pic.twitter.com/LEYzeoaWsg

— Oren Gottfried, MD (@OGdukeneurosurg) March 6, 2023

In this particular case that occurred in China, development must have begun very early, when the fertilized egg had just barely formed a group of cells called a blastocyst. That is, an embryo that is only 5-6 days old that exhibits a complex cellular structure of about 200 cells.

The discovery came after the girl showed signs of delayed motor development, an abnormally enlarged head circumference, and fluid accumulation in her brain.

When the surgical intervention was performed, it was possible to observe that the “parasitic twin” fetuses showed clear signs of development: the spine, the two leg bones (femur and tibia), and the upper extremities. In addition, it turned out that he had a bifurcation on his back (a state in which part of the spinal cord was exposed).

A DNA test confirmed that it was the girl’s twin who continued to grow from her sister’s blood supply.