UA 10cm embryo was surgically removed from the brain of one-year-old twin sisters. The girl was carrying it before birth – a rare anomaly called “feto in feto”.
The case was discovered in Hushan, China, when the parents suspected that the girl’s head had increased in size and had motor problems.
The case is reported by the Daily Mail, which says it was caused by a defect at a stage in the embryo’s development.
Doctors said the fetus had developed limbs, bones and even nails, meaning it could continue to grow inside its sister’s brain for months while still in the womb.
Experts cannot yet guarantee that a one-year-old child has not suffered long-term damage.
Only 200 such cases have been documented, and only 18 of those occurred inside the skull.
However, cases have been reported in various organs such as the mouth, intestine, groin, and scrotum.
This condition is caused by incomplete separation of identical twins, which occurs when one egg splits. Doctors aren’t exactly sure how this happens. Some believe that the healthy twin attaches to the mother through the placenta, while the other attaches itself to the twin’s blood vessels.
As the larger twin grows, the smaller one is absorbed by the abdomen. Other scientists have suggested that it occurs as a result of delayed cell division.
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