CASE REPORTS: anomalies in cephalothoracopagus synotus twins and their implications for morphogenesis in conjoined twins

Development of external morphological malformations induced by hyperthermia exposure during the blastula stage in an ex-ovo (shell-less) culture of Gallus gallus domesticus embryos

The chicken is a valuable model to study embryonic development, genetic manipulation, regenerative medicine, tumorigenesis, vaccine development, toxicology, and teratology research. Different methods have been described for incubating chicken embryos outside the eggshell (ex-ovo or shell-less incubation). To date, no studies have focused on using ex-ovo incubation as a model to study the effects of hyperthermia as a teratogen. In this work, a total of 350 fertile chicken eggs were used to study the development of congenital malformations in an ex-ovo and in-ovo incubation system exposed to normal (37.5°C) and hyperthermia conditions (40°C). In the ex-ovo hyperthermia test, all ex-ovo embryos (n = 50) developed malformations; only 0.02 % reached 5 days of development. In the ex-ovo normal temperature group, none of the ex-ovo embryos developed malformations, and 48 % reached 21 days of development; there was no significant morphological difference between the ex-ovo normal temperature and the in-ovo normal temperature group. The time of exposure to hyperthermia conditions is crucial for the development of malformations, with the blastula stage (0 h) being the most susceptible. Blastula stage malformations, neural tube defects, microphthalmia, amelia, gastroschisis, caudal regression, and the development of twinning were identified. The ex-ovo incubation system does not increase the risk of the development of malformations, and it is a viable model for studying the effects of teratogens, as well as the morphology and physiology of the embryo.

Phenotypically Discordant Anomalies in Conjoined Twins: Quirks of Nature Governed by Molecular Pathways?

A multitude of additional anomalies can be observed in virtually all types of symmetrical conjoined twins. These concomitant defects can be divided into different dysmorphological patterns. Some of these patterns reveal their etiological origin through their topographical location. The so-called shared anomalies are traceable to embryological adjustments and directly linked to the conjoined-twinning mechanism itself, inherently located within the boundaries of the coalescence area. In contrast, discordant patterns are anomalies present in only one of the twin members, intrinsically distant from the area of union. These dysmorphological entities are much more difficult to place in a developmental perspective, as it is presumed that conjoined twins share identical intra-uterine environments and intra-embryonic molecular and genetic footprints. However, their existence testifies that certain developmental fields and their respective developmental pathways take different routes in members of conjoined twins. This observation remains a poorly understood phenomenon. This article describes 69 cases of external discordant patterns within different types of otherwise symmetrical mono-umbilical conjoined twins and places them in a developmental perspective and a molecular framework. Gaining insights into the phenotypes and underlying (biochemical) mechanisms could potentially pave the way and generate novel etiological visions in the formation of conjoined twins itself.

Brain malformations in diprosopia observed in clinical cases, museum specimens and artistic representations

BACKGROUND

Diprosopus is a rare malformation of still unclear aetiology. It describes a laterally double faced monocephalic and single-trunk individual and has to be distinguished from the variant Janus type diprosopus.

RESULTS

We examined seven double-faced foetuses, five showing true diprosopus, and one each presenting as monocephalic Janiceps and parasitic conjoined twins. Four of the foetuses presented with (cranio)rachischisis, and two had secondary hydrocephaly. Three foetuses showed cerebral duplication with concordant holoprosencephaly, Dandy-Walker cyst and/or intracranial anterior encephalocele. In the Janiceps twins, cerebral duplication was accompanied by cerebral di-symmetry. In the parasitic twins the cyclopic facial aspects were suggestive of concordant holoprosencephaly. In one of the true diprosopus cases, pregnancy was achieved after intracytoplasmic sperm injection. Whole-exome sequencing, perfomed in one case, did not reveal any possible causative variants.The comparison of our double-faced foetuses to corresponding artistic representations from the Tlatilco culture allowed retrospective assignment of hairstyles to brain malformations.

CONCLUSION

Brain malformations in patients with diprosopus may not be regarded as an independent event but rather as a sequel closely related to the duplication of the notochord and neural plate and as a consequence of the cerebral and associated craniospinal structural instabilities.

A chick embryo with a yet unclassified type of cephalothoracopagus malformation and a hypothesis for explaining its genesis

Cephalothoracopagus embryos are conjoined twins, who share parts of their heads, necks and bodies. Our study aims at presenting a detailed morphological analysis of a cephalothoracopagus chick embryo of developmental stage 31. Because none of the existing theories can explain the genesis of the phenotype of this embryo, we also suggest a hypothesis, which explains it. Beside the cephalothoracopagus embryo, we investigated five control embryos. With the aid of the high-resolution episcopic microscopy (HREM) technique, we created digital volume data and three-dimensional (3D) computer models of the organs and arteries of the embryos. We used the 3D models for topological analysis and for measuring the diameters of the great intrathoracic arteries. The malformed embryo showed two body backs, each containing a notochord, spinal cord and dorsal aorta. The body backs continued into separated lower bodies. The embryo had a single, four-chambered heart, single respiratory tract and single upper alimentary tract. The topology of the pharyngeal arch arteries was normal, and the diameters of these arteries were similar to that of the control embryos. We classified the embryo we investigated as a yet unknown malformation and suggest a hypothesis explaining its genesis.

Absence of the spleen(s) in conjoined twins: a diagnostic clue of laterality defects? Radiological study of historical specimens

BACKGROUND

Laterality defects are quite common in thoracoileopagus and parapagus dicephalus but rare in other types of conjoined twins.

OBJECTIVE

To present the presumed laterality defects in cephalothoracoileopagus and prosopothoracoileopagus conjoined twins, based on the unilateral or bilateral absence or duplication of the spleen.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Three human anatomical specimens of craniothoracoileopagus (CTIP) twins and one of prosopothoracoileopagus (PTIP) twins were investigated. The specimens were part of the Museum Vrolik collection of the Department of Anatomy and Embryology of the Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands. The specimens were taken out of their jars and scanned with multidetector CT and volumetric T2-weighted MRI at 1.5 T.

RESULTS

The internal anatomy of the specimens was largely in accordance with previous reports. However, there was no recognisable spleen in the right twin in one CTIP specimen, in the left twin in one other CTIP specimen, and in both twins in the third CTIP specimen and in the PTIP specimen.

CONCLUSION

Asplenia and polysplenia are considered reliable indicators of right and left isomerism, respectively. However, three of our four specimens had laterality patterns that did not correspond with those previously reported. Since no other parameters of laterality defects could be verified in these specimens, we concluded that asplenia was unlikely to be caused by laterality defects.

A case of conjoined twin's cephalothoracopagus janiceps disymmetros

Conjoined twins are rare variants of monozygotic twins, which result from an incomplete late division of the embryonic disk. Here we report the rarest case of conjoined twins - the male cephalothoracopagus janiceps disymmetros - born in prenatal week 30, from the archive of the Department of Teratology of the Institute of Experimental Medicine AS CR in Prague. The crown-rump length of each twin, 21cm, corresponded to prenatal week 22 in a normal gravidity. The head, chest and upper portion of the abdomen of the twins were fused. The anatomical features of these extremely rare conjoined twins and the observed external anomalies as a narrow nose with a single nostril, male hypoplastic genitalia, partially duplicated sella turcica, spina bifida and further abnormalities are described and documented.