A newborn girl was hospitalized at the age of 11 days due to abdominal swelling. A 4D ultrasound revealed an 8x6cm mass, and a physical examination detected a lump with a unique texture and surface characteristics. Further imaging through a contrast-enhanced computed tomography scan identified skeletal structures resembling long bones, ribs, vertebrae, pelvic bones, and soft tissue within the mass.
Medical professionals diagnosed the anomaly as a rare case of fetus in fetu, where a malformed parasitic twin develops inside the body of the other twin. Surgery was performed to remove the mass, located near the liver, which was enclosed in a sac containing fat, malformed tissue, two limbs, and an umbilical cord. Histological analysis indicated the presence of mature embryonic tissue, skin, and intestines.
Remarkably, prior to the discovery, the baby girl exhibited normal eating and bowel movements without any other symptoms. After an uneventful recovery following the surgical procedure, she was discharged from the hospital. The case, treated at Mansoura University pediatric unit in Egypt, was documented in a recent medical journal.
Fetus in fetu is an extremely rare congenital condition where a non-viable parasitic twin becomes enclosed within the body of the developing twin. It is believed to stem from an identical twin pregnancy where one twin fails to develop properly and is enveloped by the other.
In a separate story, Kathleen Whitehead, the UK’s oldest identical twin, passed away at the age of 105, three years after her sister Dorothy Sivyer’s death at 102. The sisters, known as ‘The Twinnies,’ attributed their longevity to a lifestyle balancing wine, chocolate, exercise, healthy eating, and a strong network of female friends. Born in 1920, they navigated World War Two together and led fulfilling lives post-war, with Kath working as a radar operator and later as a primary school teacher, while Dotty served as a radiographer and had a large family. The pair celebrated their centenary in 2020 without any sibling conflicts.