Epigastric heteropagus twinning

Heteropagus twins: six cases with systematic review and embryological insights

PURPOSE

Heteropagus twinning (HT) is a rare anomaly. Six new cases along with a systematic review are described.

METHODS

Six cases of HT managed at two tertiary care teaching hospitals over the last 26 years are described. A PubMed search with words: Heteropagus AND/ OR parasitic twins from 2001 to 2021 hit 183 articles. 36 were added from non-PubMed sources. Finally, 120 cases including 114 from 69 articles and 6 new cases were analysed.

RESULTS

Of the new cases, 2/6 had an antenatal diagnosis. Five were males. 4 autosites had omphaloceles. Split notochord and 2 parasites attached to a single autosite were encountered. 5/6 autosites survived. On systematic review, the most frequent variant seen was rachipagus (n = 50) followed by omphalopagus (n = 46). Limbs were reported in 75 cases. Congenital heart disease was seen in 17/120(14.2%) autosites. Omphalocele and meningomyelocele were the most common extracardiac anomalies in autosites. Weight along with the anatomy and position of heteropagus twins was a better determinant of the mode of delivery than weight alone. Mortality was reported in 12 cases.

CONCLUSION

Autosites in HT generally carry a good prognosis, however, final outcome depends mainly on associated major cardiac anomalies. Meticulous antenatal assessment and preoperative planning are of paramount importance.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

IV.

Gemelo Heterópago

Los gemelos parásitos o heterópagos son aquellos unidos asimétricos con  partes deformes del parásito que se unen en diferentes regiones del gemelo normal (autosite), del cual depende para su soporte nutricional y crecimiento. Presentamos el caso de un gemelo heterópago con las extremidades inferiores y rudimentos de las superiores del parásito unidas al periné y glúteo derecho del autosite. Aunque no compartían órganos pélvicos, la compresión extrínseca de estructuras óseas del parásito causaron estenosis del recto, lo que obligó a la corrección quirúrgica. Los estudios por imágenes permitieron planificar la cirugía, lo cual facilitó la separación exitosa y lograr la sobrevida del paciente con muy buena calidad de vida. A pesar de ser reportados desde épocas ancestrales, aún generan gran interés debido a la variabilidad en su presentación clínica y al desconocimiento en su etiopatogénesis.

Parasitic rachipagus conjoined twin: case report

A parasitic twin represents a rare developmental anomaly in which an asymmetrical, nonviable conjoined twin is attached to the host body at the time of birth. Rachipagus is among the rarest of conjoined twin subtypes and typically features a parasitic twin mass attached at the spine. Herein, the authors review the literature and describe the case of a 9-month-old girl presenting with a rachipagus parasitic twin consisting of a fully developed set of lower extremities originating from the midline upper back. After a complete workup to delineate parasite and autosite anatomy, the parasitic twin mass was successfully excised by a multidisciplinary team of surgeons, and the resulting defect was closed in a single stage.

Thoracic heteropagus conjoined twins associated to an omphalocele: Report of a case and complete review of the literature

Heteropagus twins are an extremely rare event with an incidence of 1-2 million live births that represents, sometimes, a real challenge for paediatric surgeons. The majority of cases have complete or partial duplication of the pelvis and/or lower extremities. Thoracic heteropagus conjoined twins is a rare condition in which a grossly defective foetus (the parasite) is attached to the thorax of the main foetus (the autosite). We describe a case of a parasitic heteropagus attached at the chest wall with a rare presentation of giant exomphalos on the autosite. In this situation, the separation procedure was simple after a well-done anatomic study using X-ray, ultrasonography, magnetic resonance and echocardiogram are performed.

Heteropagus (parasitic) twins: a review

Heteropagus, or "parasitic," twins are asymmetric conjoined twins in which the tissues of a severely defective twin (parasite) are dependent on the cardiovascular system of the other, largely intact twin (autosite) for survival. The estimated incidence of heteropagus twins is approximately 1 per 1 million live births. Isolated case reports comprise most of published work on this rare congenital anomaly. In the past, review articles have focused narrowly on one particular anatomical subtype of parasitic twin and/or on the anatomicopathology observed. Here, we present the epidemiology, proposed pathoembryogenic origins, anatomical abnormalities, management, and outcomes of the wide array of heteropagus twins described in the English language literature.

Acute abdominal pain in a separated conjoined twin

Complications of conjoined twins are typically events surrounding the birth and surgical separation. We report an unusual late-onset complication, a grade IV duodenal disruption of the accessory system in a formerly conjoined twin. Because conjoined twins have unique anatomy based on the junction and division of organs, one must always consider a multitude of causes for common complaints. Basic operative principles apply: the acute abdomen must be explored. Finally, to avoid these complications, removal of all or nearly all parasitic structures must be considered at the initial separation.

Epigastric heteropagus twins: 3 case reports with review of literature

Conjoined twins are rare, heteropagus conjoined twins are rarer, and epigastric heteropagus conjoined twins are rarer still. It refers to unequal and asymmetrical twinning in which the dependant component (parasite) is smaller and attached to the epigastrium of the dominant component (autosite). We report 3 cases of epigastric heteropagus conjoined twinning. A review of literature is presented along with a discussion of possible etiopathogenesis.

Unusual case of epigastric heteropagus twinning

Asymmetrical conjoined twins or heteropagus twins are extremely rare. They are characterized by an incomplete component (parasite) that is normally smaller and dependent on the host (autosite). In cases of an epigastric heteropagus twin, the insertion occurs in the epigastrium. There are few reports of epigastric heteropagus twinning in the English-language literature. The authors report an extremely rare case of epigastric heteropagus twinning in which the parasite presented with head, thorax, and a rudimentary heart.