Congenital Cerebral Ischemic Lesions in Monochorionic Twins

Congenital Cerebral Ischemic Lesions in Monochorionic Twins

Congenital cerebral anomalies arising from in-utero ischemic events are rare. Schizencephaly and hydranencephaly occurring together in both surviving monochorionic twins is even rarer. We report a case of monochorionic female twins of 31 weeks gestation. The twins were diagnosed at 25 weeks, one with hydranencephaly and the other with schizencephaly. These defects are commonly presumed to be the result of in utero disruption of previously normally formed structures through a secondary vascular exchange from a dead to a living monozygotic twin through placental vascular anastomoses.