Limb-body wall complex, report of 2 cases with their quintessence in prenatal diagnosis.

ABSTRACT

Limb-body wall complex is a complicated fetal malformation with the essential features of 1) exencephaly/encephalocele with facial clefts, 2) thoraco- and/or abdominoschisis, and 3) limb defect. The diagnosis was based on two of three of the above features. We report 2 cases of limb-body wall complex. The first case had thoraco-abdominal and limb anomalies while the other had abdominal wall, limb and neuro-facial anomalies. Both cases were diagnosed prenatally by ultrasonography. They were terminated by medical induction. Chromosome studies were evaluated for academic purposes. Autopsies were done to confirm diagnosis. Aspects of their varieties of clinical features, differences in differential diagnosis, and pitfalls in prenatal diagnosis were discussed.