Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics

The Korean Pediatric Society (대한소아청소년과학회)
권호 표지
DOI QR코드

DOI QR Code

Misdiagnosis of fetus-in-fetu as meconium peritonitis

  • Kim, Yoon-Joo (Department of Pediatrics, Seoul National University College of Medicine) ;
  • Sohn, Se-Hyung (Department of Pediatrics, Seoul National University College of Medicine) ;
  • Lee, Ju-Young (Department of Pediatrics, Seoul National University College of Medicine) ;
  • Sohn, Jin-A (Department of Pediatrics, Seoul National University College of Medicine) ;
  • Lee, Eun-Hee (Department of Pediatrics, Seoul National University College of Medicine) ;
  • Kim, Ee-Kyung (Department of Pediatrics, Seoul National University College of Medicine) ;
  • Choi, Chang-Won (Department of Pediatrics, Seoul National University College of Medicine) ;
  • Kim, Han-Suk (Department of Pediatrics, Seoul National University College of Medicine) ;
  • Kim, Beyong-Il (Department of Pediatrics, Seoul National University College of Medicine) ;
  • Choi, Jung-Hwan (Department of Pediatrics, Seoul National University College of Medicine)
  • Received : 2010.08.02
  • Accepted : 2010.11.19
  • Published : 2011.03.15
Download PDF
⟨ Previous Next ⟩

Abstract

Fetus-in-fetu (FIF) is a rare congenital condition in which a fetiform mass is detected in the host abdomen and also in other sites such as the intracranium, thorax, head, and neck. This condition has been rarely reported in the literature. Herein, we report the case of a fetus presenting with abdominal cystic mass and ascites and prenatally diagnosed as meconium pseudocyst. Explorative laparotomy revealed an irregular fetiform mass in the retroperitoneum within a fluid-filled cyst. The mass contained intestinal tract, liver, pancreas, and finger. Fetal abdominal cystic mass has been identified in a broad spectrum of diseases. However, as in our case, FIF is often overlooked during differential diagnosis. FIF should also be differentiated from other conditions associated with fetal abdominal masses.

Keywords

References

  1. Wills R. The structure of teratoma. J Pathol Bacteriol 1935;95:1-36.
  2. Carles D, Alberti EM, Serville F, Bondonny JM, Dallay D, Leng JJ, et al. Fetus in fetu and acardiac monster: can the similar patterns of these 2 malformations be explained by a common morphogenic mechanism? Arch Anat Cytol Pathol 1991;39:77-82.
  3. Hoeffel CC, Nguyen KQ, Phan HT, Truong NH, Nguyen TS, Tran TT, et al. Fetus in fetu: a case report and literature review. Pediatrics 2000;105:1335-44. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.105.6.1335
  4. Gonzalez-Crussi F. Nomenclature. In: Gonzalez-Crussi F, ed. Extragonadal teratomas, fasc 18, ser 2. Washington, DC: Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, 1982; 1-9.
  5. Pelizzo G, Codrich D, Zennaro F, Dell'oste C, Maso G, D'Ottavio G, et al. Prenatal detection of the cystic form of meconium peritonitis: no issues for delayed postnatal surgery. Pediatr Surg Int 2008;24:1061-5. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00383-008-2194-9
  6. Miura S, Miura K, Yamamoto T, Yamanaka M, Saito K, Hirabuki T, et al. Origin and mechanisms of formation of fetus-in-fetu: two cases with genotype and methylation analyses. Am J Med Genet A 2006;140:1737-43.
  7. Lee CC, Liu KL, Tsang YM, Chen SJ, Liu HM. Fetus in fetu in an adult: diagnosis by computed tomography imaging. J Formos Med Assoc 2005;104:203-5.
  8. Hopkins KL, Dickson PK, Ball TI, Ricketts RR, O'Shea PA, Abramowsky CR. Fetus-in-fetu with malignant recurrence. J Pediatr Surg 1997;32:1476-9. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-3468(97)90567-4
  9. Gilbert-Barness E, Opitz JM, Debich-Spicer D, Mueller T, Arnold SR, Quintero R. Fetus-in-fetu form of monozygotic twinning with retroperitoneal teratoma. Am J Med Genet A 2003;120A:406-12. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajmg.a.10153
  10. Mills P, Bornick PW, Morales WJ, Allen M, Gilbert-Barness E, Johnson PK, et al. Ultrasound prenatal diagnosis of fetus in fetu. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2001;18:69-71. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1469-0705.2001.00469.x

Cited by

  1. Fetus in fetu: two case reports and literature review vol.14, pp.None, 2011, https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2431-14-88
  2. Fetus-in-fetu: a pediatric rarity vol.2014, pp.2, 2011, https://doi.org/10.1093/jscr/rju001
  3. Fetus in Fetu in the Scrotal Sac: Case Report and Literature Review vol.94, pp.32, 2011, https://doi.org/10.1097/md.0000000000001322
  4. A Case of Inhalation Burn-Induced Extensive Tracheal Inflammatory Crust Removed by Ventilating Bronchoscopy under Tracheostomy and Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation vol.58, pp.12, 2011, https://doi.org/10.3342/kjorl-hns.2015.58.12.882