Thoracopagus: a first case of incomplete conjoint twins in Eritrea

An eight hour old boy with incomplete duplication of the head was admitted in a tertiary paediatric referral hospital in Asmara, the capital city of Eritrea. The incompletely developed head with the neck of one twin was attached to the much larger and more fully developed one on the anterior aspect (ventral) of the chest. This abnormal union or fixation is termed thoracopagus which is the second most common distribution of ventral unions, parapagus (pelvis and variable trunk) being the most common. Although thoracopagus twins are more frequent, omphalopagus twins are more commonly encountered at birth, due to lower fetal mortality. The neonate also presented with multiple abnormalities, omphalocele, and congenital heart disease with VSD, deformed left external ear, high arched palate and supernumerary digit on the left 5th finger of the hand.