Umbilical cord cyst in a monochorionic twin pregnancy: an experiment of nature for the treatment of twin-twin transfusion syndrome.
A patient with a monochorionic twin pregnancy developed signs of twin-twin transfusion syndrome from 18 weeks of gestational age. At 23 weeks, an umbilical cord cyst and absent diastolic umbilical artery flow were noted in the donor twin. The pregnancy progressed uncomplicated until term and resulted in vaginal delivery of 2 healthy male babies at 38 weeks of gestational age. We hypothesize that the compression on the umbilical arteries of the donor twin by the umbilical cord cyst has resulted in a partial "compensation" of the twin-twin transfusion phenomenon.
Jacquemyn
Yves
Y
Department of Obstetrics, Antwerp University Hospital-UZA, Wilrijkstraat 10, B-2650 Edegem, Belgium. Yves.Jacquemyn@uza.be
Markov
D
D
Beckstedde
I
I
D000328:Adult; D002823:Chorion; D003560:Cysts / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005330:Fetofetal Transfusion / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000473:pathology*; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal; D014470:Umbilical Cord / Q000473:pathology*