Katherine White (Mai-li)09-24-09TWIN ABSORBTIONTwin Embolisation Syndrome Vanishing Twin Syndrome (VTS)http://static.rp-online.de/layout/showbilder/20994-TwinTripQuad_03_ITW.jpg

Man With Twin Living Inside Him -- A Medical Mystery ClassicAnother Person Lived Inside a Man for Nearly Four DecadesAug. 23, 2006This man to the right, is was noted in a news report by ABC to have absorbed his twin at the fetal stage. He is an example of the phenomenon fetus in fetu. At first this man, SanjuBhagat living in Nagpur, India, was mistaken to have an enlarged tumor in his belly. Since Sanju had respiratory problems, doctors pushed forth medical attention. It was founded by medical surgery and examination that it was not a tumor at all, but to their astonishing discovery, it was a mutated body, which was Sanju’s absorbed twin. Sanju had absorbed his twin at the fetal stage in which his twin’s fetus got entrapped with his fetus causing this rare abnormality; once the born twin starts to grow, the absorbed twin leeches, like a parasite, absorbing the host’s blood supply causing host mutilation. “"He just put his hand inside and he said there are a lot of bones inside," she said. "First, one limb came out, then another limb came out. Then some part of genitalia, then some part of hair, some limbs, jaws, limbs, hair.“ Inside Bhagat's stomach was a strange, half-formed creature that had feet and hands that were very developed. Its fingernails were quite long,” stated one doctor.http://a.abcnews.com/images/US/abc_fetus_080515_mn.jpg

Sanju’s Parasitic Twin's Remainshttp://www.mymultiplesclerosis.co.uk/misc/twinintwin.html

Twin absorption is known, through medical history and documentation, as twin embolisationsyndrome or vanishing twin syndrome (VTS).http://img.timeinc.net/time/2008/top_ten_2008/10_oddball/10_oddball_embryo.jpg

Did you know that this phenomenon, twin absorption, which include cases of fetus in fetu, are more unlikely than cases of biological miscarriage absorption by the mother?Well, according to ABC news, there are approximately 90 recorded cases of this phenomenon(twin absorption) in medical history.It is also statically noted, by researchers, that approximately 1 in every 8 pregnancies are involved in twin fetuses, and about 1 in 80 result in the actual birth of twins. This means that pregnancies involving twin fetuses that don’t make it to the production of twins, result in fetus in fetu, or most commonly, reabsorbed into the body of the carrier, mother.http://cache.jezebel.com/assets/resources/2007/11/Lakshmi%20post%20op.jpg

So, what is twin absorption?http://midwifemuse.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/twinswomb_2.jpg

Twin absorption is noted medically as twin embolisation syndrome or vanishing twin syndrome (VTS). It is also notably known as the phenomenon of fetus in fetu. This phenomenon is a medical bearing defect/ mutation where the fetusin a multi-gestation pregnancy dies in the utero thus becoming partially or completely reabsorbed by the mother or twin. Being absorbed by a twin, in the state of pregnancy in the womb, is the matter to which one twin absorbs the other while the absorbed twin continues to grow as aparasite of its twin host. This means that it is possible to find the remains of the absorbed twin in the existing (full-grown) twin, known as the one whoabsorbed.There is no true, probable causation of this phenomenon, but it is believed that the cause could be due to chromosomal or placental abnormalitiesNoted fact: This phenomenon was discovered at the time when ultrasound was available, making twin pregnanciesvisible, which was during the 1980s.http://www2.marshfieldclinic.org/wissp/wisspers/wissp26.gif

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http://learners.in.th/file/phaisarn/vanishingtwin.jpg

This picture displays an ultrasound of the abnormal brain of a diamnioticmonochorionic twin. This exhibits what twin embolization syndrome looks like after the termination of a pre-existing fetus, which was evidently absorbed by the present existing twin.

This small diagram displays how twins work. Notice that the twins on the left have their ownOuter sac which is called the chorion, while the twins on the right share the same chorion.http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/twin-19.gif

This picture is a representation of a twin fetus that has died in the utero, under the compression of its womb-mate. This compression is known as fetus papyraceus, and it is noted that these twins developed as dichorionicdiamniotic (di/di) twins.Note: DichorionicDiamniotic twins occur when the fertilized egg splits soon after fertilization meaningthat the embryos will develop, undergoing the same process as fraternal twins. This means that each individual embryo will have it’s own placenta, chorion, and amnion. Chorion is the outer sac, and amnion is the inner sac (shown in the next slide).http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Fetus_papyraceus.JPG

SOLUTIONWomen, take advantage of new advancements in ultrasound technology during the first trimester of pregnancy-Men and women, if you have a tumor or bump that is enormous, and affecting your daily behavior/activities, seek medical attentionNote: There is no cure for this abnormality (phenomenon of twin absorption) in the womb.http://www.findingdulcinea.com/docroot/dulcinea/fd_images/news/health/2009/may/Man-s-Twin-Bursts-Out-of-His-Abdomen/news/0/image.jpg

Women, take advantage of new advancements in ultrasound technology during the first trimester of pregnancy

CITATIONSFife Web Design(FWD) [Internet]. [updated 2008 July 23]. UK Channel 5: "Extraordinary People" documentary series; [cited 2009 Sept 24]. Available from:http://www.mymultiplesclerosis.co.uk/misc/twinintwin.htmlGoldman R. “Bearing Your Own Twin“. [news] ABC NEWS [serial on the Internet]. 2008 Dec. 22 [cited 2009 Sept. 24]; Available from: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=4866991&page=1BearingFierro P P. Answers to frequently asked questions about Vanishing Twins [home page on the Internet]. New York City (NY): The New York Times Company; 2009. [Vanishing Twin Syndrome; cited 2009 Sept. 24]. 2 p. Available from: http://multiples.about.com/cs/medicalissues/a/vanishingtwin.htm.Lovett H A. Man’s Twin Bursts Out of His Abdomen [home page on the Internet]. Finding Dulcinea: librarian of the internet; 2009 May 12. [Health; cited 2009 Sept. 24]. 1 p. Available from: http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/health/2009/may/Man-s-Twin-Bursts-Out-of-His-Abdomen.html.Edmonds M. Am I CArrying My Own Twin? [home page on the Internet]. HowStuffWorks,Inc.; n.d. [Health: sex and reproduction; cited 2009 Sept. 24]. 1 p. Available from: http://health.howstuffworks.com/carrying-my-own-twin.htm/printable.

PICTURE RESOURCEShttp://static.rp-online.de/layout/showbilder/20994-TwinTripQuad_03_ITW.jpghttp://img.timeinc.net/time/2008/top_ten_2008/10_oddball/10_oddball_embryo.jpghttp://www2.marshfieldclinic.org/wissp/wisspers/wissp26.gifhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Fetus_papyraceus.JPGhttp://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/twin-19.gifhttp://cache.jezebel.com/assets/resources/2007/11/Lakshmi%20post%20op.jpghttp://a.abcnews.com/images/US/abc_fetus_080515_mn.jpghttp://www.childrenscentralcal.org/HealthE/PublishingImages/em_1864.gifhttp://learners.in.th/file/phaisarn/vanishingtwin.jpghttp://midwifemuse.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/twinswomb_2.jpghttp://www.findingdulcinea.com/docroot/dulcinea/fd_images/news/health/2009/may/Man-s-Twin-Bursts-Out-of-His-Abdomen/news/0/image.jpg