Investigation and treatment of a multiple limb birth.
We report a baby born with three fully developed normally functioning legs. The third leg was attached to the baby's sacrum via an iliac bone at the site of a spina bifida. A primitive perineum was present. Innervation of the limb was via a sacral hiatus with a myelomeningocele. A rudimentary peritoneal sac was found at operation containing a blind loop of bowel suspended by a mesentery. The additional leg was found to have no cortical representation using somatic evoked potentials although lumbar responses were normal. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated a bifid spinal cord in the lumbo-sacral region. Associated abnormalities were a haemangioma of the L orbit and a vascular mass in the cerebellum.
Copley
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IB
Department of Neurosurgery, Medical University of Southern Africa, Medunsa.
Derwael
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EF
D000015:Abnormalities, Multiple / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005837:Genitalia, Male / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000601:surgery; D006391:Hemangioma / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007085:Ilium / Q000473:pathology; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007866:Leg / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009918:Orbital Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D010502:Perineum / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000473:pathology; D016135:Spinal Dysraphism / Q000473:pathology