07 March 2008

Fetus in Fetu

I had received a forwarded email lately about a baby who had a growing fetus inside. I first heard this one when I was a clinical instructor. One of my students in OB/GYN exposure submitted a related reading with regards to this rare case.

They called it "fetus in fetu" in which one twin becomes trapped inside another during pregnancy and continues to grow.

Fetus in fetu is a developmental abnormality containing entire organ systems, even major body parts such as torso or limbs.

A fetus in fetu is alive in the sense that any healthy organ is alive. Its cells are alive, and its organs have a working blood supply from the host. However, a fetus in fetu is not capable of life outside its host: It sometimes has no functional brain, heart, lungs, gastrointestinal tract, or urinary tract.

More interesting posts: Real SUPERHUMANS! Hypergraphia: people who can't stop writing! Paralyzed and Pregnant!

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

omgness! -zee

Angel in the Sickroom said...

wow very interesting! thanks for the post! I have learned something new today!

Richelle said...

to vincent,

thank you for the comment!

 
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