Conjoined twins

Abstract

Conjoined twinning is an uncommon condition (1:100,000 live births), in which two genetically identical individuals are joined by a part of their anatomy and eventually share one or more organs. When confronted with one of these sets, pediatric surgeons face one of the most challenging situations in their specialty. This form of twinning raises many interesting issues that we shall address in the following order: history, embryonal mechanisms, anatomical varieties, imaging for definition of the anatomy, ethical issues, technical aspects and results.