Abstract

Monochorionic twin pregnancies are associated with increased perinatal morbidity and mortality. The vascular placental anastomoses in these pregnancies can cause severe complications. We describe a case of twin anemia-polycythemia sequence (TAPS) with an atypical placental angioarchitecture. During pregnancy serial ultrasound examinations of both twins revealed no amniotic fluid discordance and no abnormal Doppler ultrasound measurements (umbilical cord pulsatility index and middle cerebral artery peak systolic velocity). The twins, born at 33 + 3 weeks gestation after spontaneous onset of labour, were found to be anemic and polycythemic, respectively. Placental examination with colored dye injection showed, apart from small ateriovenous anastomoses, an arterio-arterial anastomosis. As arterio-arterial anastomoses have not been described in cases with spontaneous TAPS to date, it was postulated that such anastomoses carried a protective effect against the development of this complication.

Full Text
Paper version not known

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.