Acardius in a triplet pregnancy: Cytogenetic and morphological profile

Abstract

We describe a rare case of acardius in a triplet pregnancy terminated by Caesarean Section at 32 weeks gestation. Morphological and chromosomal abnormalities of the fetus as well as structural abnormalities of the placenta are presented. Cytogenetic analysis and examination of the single disc triplet placenta provide evidence for the two major theories of pathogenesis of acardius, the twin reversed arterial perfusion (TRAP) sequence and the genetic theory, which we believe are not necessarily mutually exclusive.