Conjoined Twins FAQ
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Conjoined Twins FAQ Prepared by Dr. Tarek A. Abd El Latif CMEC,Manager EMS
Conjoined Twins • Conjoined twinsare monozygotic multiples that do not fully separate from each other due to the incomplete division of the fertilized ovum. • The individuals will be connected at certain points of the body, and may share tissue, organs or limbs. What are conjoined twins?
Conjoined Twins • How does it happen? • Monozygotic - also known as identical - twins form when a single fertilized ovum splits into two embryos. • This split can happen anytime after fertilization; as more time passes, the twins are more likely to share commonalities. • If the split occurs more than twelve days post conception, the embryos do not fully divide and the twins may share body parts.
Conjoined Twins • How does it happen • Like all Monozygotic twins, conjoined twins are always same sex (either both boys or both girls). • It's a fairly rare occurrence. • Exact statistics are not known, but are estimated to be about 1 in 85,000 births. • About 1 in 200 sets of identical twins are born conjoined. • It is estimated that seventy percent of conjoined twins are female.
Conjoined Twins • What are Siamese Twins? • Famed twins, chang and Eng Bunker, were born in Siam (now Thailand) in the early 1800's, although they eventually settled in the United States. • As they traveled the world, they became known as "the Siamese twins." • While they were the first conjoined twins whose medical history was documented, they were not the first conjoined twins. • Records reference a set of conjoined boys living in Constantinople in 945 A.D. • Another well-known set, Mary and Eliza Chulkhurst, lived in England in the twelth century.
Conjoined Twins • What are the types of conjoined twins? • TYPES OF CONJOINED TWINS: • Conjoined twins are usually classified by the point at which they are joined (the Greek word pagos , meaning "that which is fixed.") . • There have been as many as three dozen separate types identified in the last century. The following basic classifications can be combined to more closely define individual cases.
Conjoined Twins • What are the types of conjoined twins? • TYPES OF CONJOINED TWINS: • Those three dozen separate types are: • Conjunction never involving heart or umbilicus • Conjunctions Always involving the Umbilicus (Midline Conjunctions) • Rare forms of conjoined twins, having different patterns.
Conjoined Twins • What are the types of conjoined twins? TYPES OF CONJOINED TWINS: Those three dozen separate types are: • Conjunction never involving heart or umbilicus • Conjunctions Always involving the Umbilicus (Midline Conjunctions) • Rare forms of conjoined twins, having different patterns.
Conjoined Twins • What are the types of conjoined twins? • Conjunction never involving heart or umbilicus: • I- Craniopagus. • - Cranial union only. • - 2% of all conjoined twins. • II- Pygopagus. • Posterior union of the rump • 19% of all conjoined twins.
Conjoined Twins • What are the types of conjoined twins? • 2. Conjunctions Always involving the Umbilicus (Midline Conjunctions) • I- Thoracopagus • II- Cephalopagus • III- Parapagus • IV- Ischopagus • V- Omphalopagus
Conjoined Twins • What are the types of conjoined twins? • 2. Conjunctions Always involving the Umbilicus (Midline Conjunctions) • I- Thoracopagus: • Anterior union of the upper half of the trunk. • They are the most common form of conjoined twins (about 35%). • It always involves sharing the heart.
- Conjoined Twins • What are the types of conjoined twins? 2. Conjunctions Always involving the Umbilicus (Midline Conjunctions) . • II- Cephalopagus: • Anterior union of the upper half of the body with two faces on opposite sides of a conjoined head. • Extremely rare. • The heart is sometimes involved. • A combination of types I and II is called cepholothoracopagus. skeleton of cephalothoracopagus twins delivered in Philadelphia in 1851. This skeleton has four feet.
Conjoined Twins • What are the types of conjoined twins? • 2. Conjunctions Always involving the Umbilicus (Midline Conjunctions) . • III- Parapagus: • Lateral union of the lower half, extending variable distances upward. • Sometimes called diprosopus. • about 5% of all conjoined twins. • Heart sometimes involved. Skeleton of parapagus twins, showing fusion of the lower half.
Conjoined Twins • What are the types of conjoined twins? • 2. Conjunctions Always involving the Umbilicus (Midline Conjunctions) . • IV- Ischopagus: • - Anterior union of the lower half of the body. • 6% of all conjoined twins. • Heart is not involved. • V- Omphalopagus: • - Anterior union of the midtrunk. • - 30% of all conjoined twins. Death cast of ischiopagus conjoined twins who died at age 13 months, in November , 1871.
Conjoined Twins • What are the types of conjoined twins? • 3. Rare forms of conjoined twins, having different patterns: • I- Parasitic twins. • - Asymmetrical conjoined twins, one twin being small, less formed, and dependent upon the other. • II- Fetus in fetu. • - Asymmetrical conjoined twins, one twin being small, less formed, and dependent upon the other.
Conjoined Twins • What is the prognosis for conjoined twins? • The prognosis depends on how the twins are connected. • It is estimated that 40-60% are born stillborn. 35% survive 24 hours or less. • For those that do survive, their parents will face difficult decisions regarding their future. • Some conjoined twins live successful lives despite the unique challenges they face. • Others are plagued by medical complications due to shared organs and vital systems. • Others are candidates for surgical separation.
Conjoined Twins • How are conjoined twins separated? • Since the late twentieth century, many medical advances have resulted in the successful surgical separation of conjoined twins. • According to Nancy Segal in her book'"Entwined Lives," there have been approximately 200 attempted surgical separations of conjoined twins. • Three-quarters of the procedures since 1950 have resulted in one or both of the twins surviving.
Conjoined Twins • What are the risks involved with surgical separating adult conjoined twins? • In general, the greatest risks to conjoined twins during and after separation are anesthesia and surgical complications. • During surgery, both twins receive anesthesia using two separate sets of equipment. • Surgical complications can include formation of blood clots in the newly constructed blood vessels, intracranial bleeding, heart complications and infection. • The critical period is three to four days after surgery.
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