title: Hemodynamic analysis of cephalothoracopagus by the color doppler method. A comparison to normal fetuses via a longitudinal study.
abstract: In a case of cephalothoracopagus, the umbilical artery (UA) was observed with color Doppler method, and the findings were compared with the hemodynamics of 46 normal fetuses. The patient was a 25-year-old primigravida who had appeared for routine prenatal visits since her 6th week of pregnancy. At a later time, the patient was examined after an interval of 4 weeks. Although an ultrasonography was also conducted, unfortunately, any findings of cephalothoracopagus were not detected. In the 25th week of gestation, we hospitalized her for marked polyhydramnios (amniotic fluid index: 280 mm), at which time an ultrasound examination revealed cephalothoracopagus. In the UA, the V(max) was 30.3 cm/s (normal fetus at 25-28 weeks: 33.5 +/- 3.9 cm/s). The UA hemodynamics fell below the normal range. At 26 weeks, the UA V(max) was 56.5 cm/sec, a level which significantly exceeded the normal range. The patient underwent a cesarean section at 27 weeks of gestation; the indication was fetal distress. This is caused by the condition in which the fetal heart beats decreases to 90 beats per minute 3 times during a 10-min period as measured on the cardiotocograms. She delivered a 1,392-gram female with an Apgar score of 2 points (respiratory 1 point and heart rate 1 point). The infant was a cephalothoracopagus, with one head, two hearts, four upper limbs, and four lower limbs. The neonate died from circulatory failure 56 min after birth.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kanazawa Medical University, Uchinada, Ishikawa, Japan. popiura@kanazawa-med.ac.jp
authors.forename: Toshihiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Iura
authors.forename: Satoru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Makinoda
authors.forename: Chihaya
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sasakura
authors.forename: Natsuko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hirosaki
authors.forename: Hirokazu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: Tomoo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Waseda
authors.forename: Yukio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Watanabe
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D011247:Pregnancy; D014428:Twins, Conjoined / Q000473:pathology; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal; D014469:Umbilical Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology