Fetal Inclusion: Report of Two Cases and Review of the Literature and Diagonostic Criteria

Abstract

ABSTRACT Two cases of fetal inclusion were presented and 27 cases ever reported in Japan were reviewed. The first case presented had placental component and highly differentiated visceral organs in addition to the vertebral column and skin covering the included mass. The second case also had vertebral column and skin but the organoid pattern was not so clear as seen in the first case. It was most important to differentiate included fetus from teratoma in this second case and in some cases reviewed here, in which an orderly arranged visceral organ was not noted. Thus, diagnostic criteria described by Ohkawa et al was revaluated on the basis of embryological consideration and then it was concluded that included fetus could be diagnosed only by the presence of vertebral column and skin covering the included mass. Finally, it is proposed that fetal inclusion may be regarded as an acardiac structure embodied in the autosite.