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Case Reports
. 2021 Dec 26;9(36):11482-11486.
doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v9.i36.11482.

Retroperitoneal parasitic fetus: A case report

Bin Xia  1 , Dan-Dan Li  2 , Hua-Xing Wei  1 , Xuan-Xuan Zhang  1 , Ru-Mei Li  1 , Jian Chen  3
Affiliations
Case Reports

Retroperitoneal parasitic fetus: A case report

Bin Xia et al. World J Clin Cases. .

Abstract

Background: Fetus-in-fetu (FIF) is an extremely rare congenital abnormal mass, in which a normal fetus's vertebral axis frequently connected with malformed fetus around this axis. Here, we report the case of a male infant aged 26 d presenting with retroperitoneal parasitic fetus.

Case summary: In a prenatal examination, we first detected an abdominal mass measuring 7.8 cm × 5.1 cm × 6.8 cm in a mother's abdomen at 25 gestational weeks and teratoma was suspected. After the fetal was born, we did a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasonography on him and saw a distinctive limb with five-toes. According to the result of MRI, ultrasonography and postoperative pathology, he finally was diagnosed with FIF.

Conclusion: A laparotomy was performed at 26 d of age with excision of the retroperitoneal cystic tumor, which measured about 10 cm in diameter. According to the result of imaging and histological test, FIF was confirmed.

Keywords: Abdominal mass; Case report; Fetus-in-fetu; Teratoma; Ultrasound.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Feet and trunk of the fetus in fetu on ultrasound. A, B: Feet; C, D: Trunk.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Images of the intestines and pathology of the mass. A: The male infant’s intestines on magnetic resonance imaging; B, C: The feet and part of the abdominal cavity during the operation; D: Postoperative pathology of the mass.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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