Cardiovascular anomalies in conjoined twins

Cardiovascular anomalies have been studied in two cases of conjoined twins. In case I, there was a single fused heart with 3 ventricles and 4 auricles. In case II, there were two ventricles and two auricles of which one was larger than the other. Both cases had separate arches of aorta for each of the pair. In both, persistance of sinus venosus was a feature. The truncus arteriosus was not differentiated in one of the pair, in case I. Two cases of conjoined female twins were received from the Mosul Obstetric Hospital. During labour, the head of one of the pair in Case I and lower abdomen with both legs in one of the pair in case II were severed to save the mothers. Both specimens were dissected to study the vital viscera and their anomalies. A variety of abnormal features were observed and the following is the account of such anomalies in the cardiovascular system. The other variations are being described in a separate communication

Anomalies of the alimentary canal in conjoined twins

Two cases of conjoined female [Siamese] twins are being reported with special reference to the anomalies of the alimentary system. This is for the first time that conjoined twins have been reported from Mosul area. In case I there was one liver, two gall bladders, two stomachs but a common duodenum. There was no pancreas. The duodenum continued as small intestine which divided into two canals, and joined separately with the large intestine of each fetus. In case II pharynx of each fetus fused below the chin to form a single larynx and oesophagus. The larynx continued as a single trachea which, after a short distance, bifurcated to go to two pairs of lungs. The oesophagus was traced to the abdominal cavity where it entered a common stomach which in turn continued as a duodenum and small intestine. The latter bifurcated to join the colon of each fetus separately. Gall bladder and pancreas were absent in case II but the stomach showed three diverticula on its posterior aspect