MRI reveals fetus in fetu in the mediastinum

Abstract

Fetus in fetu is an extremely rare condition in which a fetiform calcified mass is contained within the newborn or infant, often in the retroperitoneal cavity. We report a case of a fetus in fetu in the posterior mediastinum of a newborn. The prospective diagnosis was made by fetal US and MRI and confirmed by postnatal plain radiograph, CT and MRI.

Two cases of fetus in fetu

“…Three intrathoracic FIF cases were reported in the literature [3,11,12]. Two of them were located in the lower mediastinum [11,12], and the other one was in the lung parenchyma [3]. In our first patient, the mass was located in the abdomen.…”

“…Skull, scrotum, sacrum, lung, and mouth are other less frequently reported locations [3,[8][9][10]. Three intrathoracic FIF cases were reported in the literature [3,11,12]. Two of them were located in the lower mediastinum [11,12], and the other one was in the lung parenchyma [3].…”

Fetus in Fetu: A rare presentation in an adult female

“…FIF has been reported at various sites right from the cranial cavity to the scrotal sac [12] . Different organs can be seen in FIF whichinclude the vertebral column (91%), limbs (82.5%), central nervous system (55.8%), gastrointestinal tract (45%), vessels (40%), and genitourinary tract (26.5%) [13,14] . Even without performing an operation to remove the parasitic twin the existence of the condition can be diagnosed through ultrasonography, plain X-ray and a Computed Tomography scan of the host's abdomen.…”

Fetus in fetu from newborn’s mediastinum: case report and a review of literature

“…To our knowledge, this is the fourth case of FIF localized in the thorax. The first described case was a FIF (a mass approximately 8 cm in diameter) in the posterior mediastinum of a newborn [2]. Histologically, the mass consisted of skin, fat, skeletal muscles, intestines, testicular tissue, adrenal cortex and medulla tissue, ganglion, peripheral nerves and bone.…”