A Rare Case Report of Sirenomelia

Abstract

Sirenomelia, which is also known as mermaid syndrome, is an extremely rare congenital developmental disorder characterized by anomalies of the lower spine and the lower limbs. Affected infants are born with partial or complete fusion of the legs. Additional malformations may also occur including genitourinary abnormalities, gastrointestinal abnormalities, anomalies of the lumbar-sacral spine and pelvis and absence or underdevelopment (agenesis) of one or both kidneys. Affected infants may have one foot, no feet or both feet, which may be rotated externally. The tailbone is usually absent, and the sacrum is partially or completely absent as well. Additional conditions may occur with sirenomelia including imperforate anus, spina bifida, and heart (cardiac) malformations. The incidence of sirenomelia is 8-1 case/100000[1] births with male to female ratio being 3:1.[2] Sirenomelia has no definite cause, almost all cases occur without any reason.
 Previously, some literatures mentioned that sirenomelia is the severe form of caudal regression syndrome and has many developmental disorders. Recently much literature mentioned sirenomelia is similar but a different disorder. NORD has a different report on caudal regression syndrome.