title: Foetus-in-fetu: an unusual cause of abdominal mass in the newborn.
abstract: Foetus-in-fetu (FIF) is a rare congenital condition in which a vertebrate foetus is incorporated within its twin. The authors report the case of a newborn girl with prenatal ultrasonographic diagnosis of an intra-abdominal mass. Abdominal ultrasonography and computed tomography of the abdomen showed a heterogeneous cystic mass containing multiple calcifications. The patient had a laparotomy at 18 days of age with excision of a well-encapsulated 6 x 5 cm retroperitoneal mass, containing many organs. Anatomicopathologic examination showed a relatively well-differentiated FIF attached to an amniotic sac by a rudimentary umbilical cord. Encephalon, coroidal plexus, vertebral bodies, rudimentary limbs, thyroid gland and teeth were identified. The postoperative period was uneventful.
authors.affiliation: Paediatric Department C, Children's Hospital of Tunis, Tunisia. olfa.bouyahia@rns.tn
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Bouyahia
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bouafif
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gharsallah
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hamzaoui
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Meftah
authors.forename: S Mazigh
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Mrad
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Boukthir
authors.forename: A Sammoud
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: El Gharbi