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The Role of Ultrasound in the Management of a Twin Gestation with One Fetus Affected with Anencephaly

Women's Health of Central Massachusetts, 67 Belmont Street, Worcester, MA 01605; American Ob/Gyn Windsor, Connecticut

Anencephaly is the most common type of neural tube defect seen during prenatal development. This condition results from a failure of the neural tube to close at its cephalad end between the second and third weeks of embryonic development.¹ Sonographically, anencephaly presents as the absence of the cranial vault and cerebral hemispheres. It is believed to be multifactorial in origin but usually not associated with chromosomal abnormalities.² The condition is invariably lethal; 50% are stillborn, and the remainder die in the newborn period.³

We present a case of a twin gestation, with one fetus affected with anencephaly and the other with no apparent abnormalities.

Key Words: anencephaly • cranial defects • multiple gestation • lethal anomalies • polyhydramnios

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