Caroline Kachmar

Types of Conjoined Twins

1. Thoracopagus1. Thoracopagus

• Connected by the upper half of the trunk, through the chest wall from the thorax down to the umbilicus

• They usually share a heart

Problems:

- because they usually share a heart, there are a variety of heart and respiratory problems

2. Omphalopagus2. Omphalopagus

• Attached by the trunk, usually at the abdomen, but the connection can range from the thorax down to the umbilicus.

• They usually share a liver, gastrointestinal or genitourinary functions

Problems:

- respiratory problems

- frequent diarrhea

3. Pyopagus3. Pyopagus

• Joined at the pelvis• They usually share a

spinal cordProblems:

- urinary infections are common- hemivertebrae (when one side of the vertebrae is incompletely developed)

4. Ischiopagus4. Ischiopagus

• The spines are connected end-to-end at an 180 degree angle

• The twins usually have 4 legs but in some cases, they may only have 3

Problems:- bowel and kidney problems- arthritis on the knees and hips

5. Craniopagus5. Craniopagus• Attached by the skulls• In the case of Tatiana and

Krista Hogan, the girls are attached by their thalamic bridge

• It is possible for them to both feel the same thing even if the action only happens to one of them

Problems:- deformity of the skull base- deformity and displacement of the cerebrum- circulatory abnormality

6. Parapagus6. Parapagus • Connected at the

abdomen and pelvis• Usually do not share a

heart• Can have either two or

three legshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZUzi0RhBpM&feature=youtu.be

Problems:

- heart problems- underdeveloped lungs- neural tube defects

7. Cephalopagus7. Cephalopagus

• Joined from the top of the head down to the umbilicus, with a separate lower abdomen and pelvis

• Their faces can either be fused together facing each other or on opposite sides of the head

Problems:- major malformations in the brain- impossible to survive