Published online Nov 6, 2020. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v8.i21.5389
Peer-review started: April 29, 2020
First decision: September 12, 2020
Revised: September 13, 2020
Accepted: September 23, 2020
Article in press: September 23, 2020
Published online: November 6, 2020
Conjoined twins are a rare occurrence, and the majority of these malformations are detected during second trimester screening.
Herein we report a case of conjoined twins, which was diagnosed by ultrasound at 8 wk gestation and was normal at 7 wk gestation. The two fetuses shared one heart and were diagnosed as thoracopagus twins. This is the first report of conjoined twins diagnosed at 8 wk gestation. The pregnancy was terminated electively at 9 wk gestation. Because some congenital malformations can be diagnosed earlier, a prenatal ultrasound examination at an early gestational stage cannot be dismissed.
This case demonstrates that a 7-8 wk gestation might be the earliest period when conjoined twins can be diagnosed by ultrasound.
Core Tip: A woman at 8 wk of pregnancy with low progesterone levels came to the hospital for a routine ultrasound examination. Ultrasound showed a twin pregnancy, and the two fetuses were conjoined by the chest and heart. However, the ultrasound performance showed a normal singleton pregnancy at her 7th wk of pregnancy. We found that ultrasound examination at 7-8 wk of pregnancy plays an important role in the early diagnosis of congenital malformation in twins.