title: Mermaid syndrome: virtually no hope for survival.
abstract: Sirenomelia, also called the mermaid syndrome is a severe malformation involving multiple organs and characterized by partially or completely developed lower extremities fused by the skin. The birth of a "mermaid" is very rare (1.2-4.2 cases for 100,000 births); most are stillborn, or die at or shortly after birth. The case of a living female neonate with dipodic simelia (fusion of well-developed legs) is presented. No prenatal diagnosis was made and the newborn had an uneventful neonatal course following Cesarean section delivery. The complex and striking malformation was obvious at birth and further evaluation revealed very poorly functioning kidneys, associated with abnormal anorectum, urogenital tract, and external genitalia, as well as a pelvic malformation. Supportive care was applied because of the poor prognosis and the child died at 7 weeks of age, due to renal failure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, 1011, Lausanne, Switzerland. nlutz@hospvd.ch
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lutz
authors.forename: Blaise Julien
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Meyrat
authors.forename: Jean-Pierre
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Guignard
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hohlfeld
mesh_terms: D000015:Abnormalities, Multiple; D004480:Ectromelia / Q000473:pathology*; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D038061:Lower Extremity Deformities, Congenital / Q000473:pathology*