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Dissociative brain stem lesions in cephalothoracopagus twins
Author(s) -
Hayashi Masaharu,
Kojima Hideaki,
Morimatsu Yoshio,
Shinohara Takeshi,
Fujioka Yasunori,
Nagashima Kazuo
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
neuropathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.701
H-Index - 61
eISSN - 1440-1789
pISSN - 0919-6544
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1789.1996.tb00179.x
Subject(s) - anatomy , spinal cord , diencephalon , area postrema , medicine , central nervous system , pons , brainstem , pyramidal tracts , hypoglossal nucleus , cerebrum , medulla , decussation , medulla oblongata , neuroscience , biology
This report concerns unusual central nervous system (CNS) abnormalities in female cephalothoracopagus twins delivered after 29 weeks of pregnancy, and who died soon after birth. The two bodies, fused to a single umbilical cord, had one head and face, and four arms and four legs. Thorax, lungs, heart, esophagus and stomach were shared by both. In the CNS, there was one cerebrum with two separate pontes, cerebella, medulla oblongatae and spinal cords, which were set at 60d̀ to each other. The diencephalon was shared by the twins. In each brain stem, the nuclei of motor trigeminal, abducent, facial and hypoglossal nerves were rudimentary on the conjoined sides, but the neurons in other nuclei such as the locus ceruleus, pontine nucleus, superior and inferior olivary nuclei, and the area postrema were preserved bilaterally. The pyramidal tract in the brain stem and spinal cord was affected only on the conjoined side. These brain anomalies provide valuable information for investigations dealing with CNS development.