Abstract
BackgroundFetus in fetu is a rare congenital anomaly. Its incidence is 1/500,000 births. So, pediatric surgeons may encounter this pathology only once or twice during their professional careers.Case presentationWe present a rare case of a fetus extracted from the small intestinal mesentery of a healthy neonate who was explored after delivery. The extracted fetal mass included a fully differentiated skull and limbs with a celomic cavity. The fetal mass was supplied by a main feeding vessel branching from the superior mesenteric artery.ConclusionFetus in fetu, despite being a rare variant, must be kept in mind when dealing with a neonatal abdominal mass showing bony parts on radiography.
Highlights
Fetus in fetu is a rare congenital anomaly
Fetus in fetu, despite being a rare variant, must be kept in mind when dealing with a neonatal abdominal mass showing bony parts on radiography
Fetus in fetu (FIF) was first described by Johann Friedrich in the early nineteenth century [3]
Summary
Fetus in fetu (FIF) is a rare congenital anomaly. Its incidence is 1/500,000 births [1]. Case presentation A 27-years-old female followed up her second pregnancy with her gynecologist who suspected an abnormal mass in the fetal abdomen at the 6th month of pregnancy (Fig. 1), by routine pregnancy ultrasonography Her first baby is a 2-year-old healthy male with no congenital anomalies. Multi-slice CT for the abdomen and pelvis (Fig. 3) was done for the baby after 24 h of delivery which revealed a large retroperitoneal mass measuring 78 × 67 × 50 mm with well-defined margins. It appeared hypodense with multilocular cystic areas, containing calcified structures in a configuration of fetal bones (skull, spines, femur, and pelvic bones). A male genital bud was found in its normal location (Fig. 7)
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