Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome

Abstract

The twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome is an easily identified circulatory disease of twins which imposes immediate, serious, and critically different handicaps on each of identical twin newborns. The syndrome is characterized by severe anemia in one twin and intense plethora in the other; and it is due to unbalanced vascular mixing due to anastomotic vessels in the placenta. This interfetal transfusion syndrome is an uncommon finding in live twin births, and such twins who do survive often suffer permanent sequelae. As a unique clinical entity, the twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome presents an interesting challenge in treatment and may aid in the understanding of homotransplantation phenomena as well as the nonidentical development of identical twins. Report of Case The mother of the twins is a 38-year-old para III gravida IV Caucasian whose previous deliveries have been normal. There is no consanguinity. The mother's past history is negative except for migraine and an admission