title: Neuropathological and anatomopathological analyses of acardiac and "normal" siblings in an acardiac-twin pregnancy.
abstract: Acardiac twinning is a very rare complication of multiple pregnancy. The authors present the neuropathological and anatomopathological description of the twins of the multiple pregnancy complicated by the acardiac foetus and terminated at 26 weeks of gestation. An anatomopathological examination of the "normal" twin showed hyaline membrane syndrome, cardiomegaly and hepatomegaly. Neuropathologically, numerous hypoxic-ischaemic lesions, most likely associated with haemodynamic disorders during pregnancy as well as less pronounced perinatal changes were revealed. The acardiac foetus, classified as acardius acephalus, demonstrated the presence of some abdominal organs and a histologically well-developed spinal cord. In view of the neuropathological changes, monitoring "normal" twins for discreet pathological central nervous system signs, which may be similar in character to those described, may play a significant role.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropathology, Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, Warszawa, Poland. ekrusze@ipin.edu.pl
authors.forename: Elzbieta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kosno-Kruszewska
authors.forename: Krzysztof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Deregowski
authors.forename: Bogna
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schmidt-Sidor
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wierzba-Bobrowicz
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pawłowska
authors.forename: Waldemar
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lechowicz
authors.forename: Grazyna M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Szpak
authors.forename: Eliza
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lewandowska
authors.forename: Ewa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bertrand
authors.forename: Romana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bogusławska
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tomankiewicz-Zawadzka
mesh_terms: D009008:Abnormalities, Severe Teratoid / Q000473:pathology*; D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000473:pathology*; D004200:Diseases in Twins / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D035781:Siblings; D014427:Twins