Download PDF
CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Indian J Radiol Imaging 2009; 19(03): 216-218
DOI: 10.4103/0971-3026.54890
Abdominal Imaging

Double fetus-in-fetu: CT scan diagnosis in an adult

BV Daga
Department of Radiodiagnosis and Imaging Sciences, Dr. Vaishampaiyan Memorial Government Medical College, Solapur, Maharashtra, India
,
VA Chaudhary
Department of Radiodiagnosis and Imaging Sciences, Dr. Vaishampaiyan Memorial Government Medical College, Solapur, Maharashtra, India
,
Amit S Ingle
Department of Radiodiagnosis and Imaging Sciences, Dr. Vaishampaiyan Memorial Government Medical College, Solapur, Maharashtra, India
,
Vinayak B Dhamangaokar
Department of Radiodiagnosis and Imaging Sciences, Dr. Vaishampaiyan Memorial Government Medical College, Solapur, Maharashtra, India
,
Deepti P Jadhav
Department of Radiodiagnosis and Imaging Sciences, Dr. Vaishampaiyan Memorial Government Medical College, Solapur, Maharashtra, India
,
Prasanna A Kulkarni
Department of Radiodiagnosis and Imaging Sciences, Dr. Vaishampaiyan Memorial Government Medical College, Solapur, Maharashtra, India
› Author Affiliations
› Further Information
Also available at
  PDF Download Permissions and Reprints

Abstract

A fetus-in-fetu (FIF) is an uncommon developmental abnormality characterized by a reasonably well-formed but aborted fetus that is seen in the form of an encapsulated, pedunculated vertebrate tumor in the patient′s abdomen. We report an interesting case of a double FIF in a 20-year-old man, who presented with acute abdominal pain and a lump. CT scan of the abdomen revealed two ill-formed fetuses-in-fetu, which were seen as a 15-cm complex, encapsulated mass in the lower retroperitoneum; there was also free fluid in the abdomen. The diagnosis of a ruptured twin FIF was made. Complete surgical excision of the lesion was performed and the diagnosis was confirmed histopathologically. To the best of our knowledge, the CT scan findings of a ruptured double FIF in an adult have not been previously documented.

Keywords

Fetus-in-fetu - Computed Tomography


Publication History

Article published online:
02 August 2021

© 2009. Indian Radiological Association. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial-License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Thieme Medical and Scientific Publishers Private Ltd.
A-12, Second Floor, Sector -2, NOIDA -201301, India

 

  • References

  • 1 de Lagausie P, de Napoli Cocci S, Stempfle N, Truong QD, Vuillard E, Ferkadji L, et al . Highly differentiated teratoma and fetu-in-fetu: A single pathology? J Paediatr Surg 1997;32:115-6.
  • 2 Borges E, Lim-Dunham JE, Vade A. Fetus in fetu appearing as a pre-nateal neck mass. J Ultrasound Med 2005;24:1313-6.
  • 3 Hoeffel CC, Nguyen KQ, Phan H, Thruong NH, Nguyen TS, Than-Htran T, et al . Fetus in fetu: A case report and literature review. Pediatrics 2000;105:1335-44.
  • 4 Kimmel DL, Moyer EK, Peale AR. A cerebral tumor containing five human fetuses: A case of feus-in-fetu. Anat Rec 1950;106:141-65.
  • 5 Swischuk LE. Fetus in fetu. Imaging of newborn, infant and young child. 5 th ed. Lippincott Williams and Wilkins. 2004. p. 549-50.
  • 6 Jeanty P, de Andrade Gonηalves LF, Silva SR. Fetus-in-fetu. Available from: http://www.thefetus.net. [cited on 2000 Sep 18].
  • 7 Willis RA. The borderland of embryology and pathology. 2 nd ed. Washington, DC: Buttersworth; 1962. p. 442-62.
  • 8 Luzzatto C, Talenti E, Tregnaghi A, Fabris S, Scapinello A, Gugliemi M. Double fetus in fetu: Diagnostic imaging. Pediatr Radiol 1994;24:602-3.