Cardiovascular abnormalities in thoracopagus twins: embryological interpretation and review. 1987

F Razavi-Encha, and N Mulliez, and N Benhaiem-Sigaux, and M Gonzales, and A Casasoprana, and G Bloch, and C Roux

The cardiovascular abnormalities of two sets of thoracopagus twins with conjoined heart and liver are described and compared with 27 well documented cases. An embryological interpretation of the cardiovascular abnormalities is suggested. The common heart in both sets showed a common atrium and two ventricles. In case 1 the great arteries were L. malposed in twin A. In case 2 the great arteries originated from their respective double outlet single ventricle. The systemic and pulmonary veins drained directly into the common atrium in case 1 and indirectly via systemic veins in case 2. The type of cardiovascular abnormalities are complex and discordent from one set to another and in the same set. However among 27 published cases of thoracopagus twins, cardiac union, including atrial union with separate ventricles, or atrial and ventricular union, was encountered in 16 cases. Approximately 90% of them are not suitable for surgical separation because of the high degree of cardiac union and the complexity of cardiovascular abnormalities. Surgical separation could be attempted in only two cases, but at the cost of the life of one of the twins.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D011651 Pulmonary Artery The short wide vessel arising from the conus arteriosus of the right ventricle and conveying unaerated blood to the lungs. Arteries, Pulmonary,Artery, Pulmonary,Pulmonary Arteries
D005260 Female Females
D006325 Heart Atria The chambers of the heart, to which the BLOOD returns from the circulation. Heart Atrium,Left Atrium,Right Atrium,Atria, Heart,Atrium, Heart,Atrium, Left,Atrium, Right
D006330 Heart Defects, Congenital Developmental abnormalities involving structures of the heart. These defects are present at birth but may be discovered later in life. Congenital Heart Disease,Heart Abnormalities,Abnormality, Heart,Congenital Heart Defect,Congenital Heart Defects,Defects, Congenital Heart,Heart Defect, Congenital,Heart, Malformation Of,Congenital Heart Diseases,Defect, Congenital Heart,Disease, Congenital Heart,Heart Abnormality,Heart Disease, Congenital,Malformation Of Heart,Malformation Of Hearts
D006352 Heart Ventricles The lower right and left chambers of the heart. The right ventricle pumps venous BLOOD into the LUNGS and the left ventricle pumps oxygenated blood into the systemic arterial circulation. Cardiac Ventricle,Cardiac Ventricles,Heart Ventricle,Left Ventricle,Right Ventricle,Left Ventricles,Right Ventricles,Ventricle, Cardiac,Ventricle, Heart,Ventricle, Left,Ventricle, Right,Ventricles, Cardiac,Ventricles, Heart,Ventricles, Left,Ventricles, Right
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D001011 Aorta The main trunk of the systemic arteries. Aortas
D014428 Twins, Conjoined MONOZYGOTIC TWINS who are joined in utero. They may be well developed and share only a superficial connection, often in the frontal, transverse or sagittal body plane, or they may share a partial duplication of a body structure. Alternatively, there may be a small and incompletely developed twin conjoined to a larger, more fully developed twin. Siamese Twins,Twins, Siamese,Conjoined Twin,Conjoined Twins,Siamese Twin,Twin, Conjoined,Twin, Siamese

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