What is the cause of diprosopus?
Development. Although classically considered conjoined twinning (which it resembles), diprosopus is not normally due to the fusion or incomplete separation of two embryos. It is the result of abnormal activity by the protein SHH (sonic hedgehog).
What are symptoms of diprosopus?
In the most extreme instances, the entire face is duplicated, hence the name diprosopus, which is Greek for two-faced. Fetuses with diprosopus often also lack brains (anencephaly), have neural tube defects, or heart malformations. In some cases, if the brain is formed, it may have duplicated structures.
Is diprosopus fatal?
Diprosopus is a rare congenital malformation associated with high mortality. Here, we describe a patient with diprosopus, multiple life-threatening anomalies, and genetic mutations. Prenatal diagnosis and counseling made a beneficial impact on the family and medical providers in the care of this case.
How many cases does diprosopus have?
A craniofacial duplication or diprosopus is an unusual variant of conjoined twinning. The reported incidence is one in 180,000-15 million births and 35 cases have been reported till date. The phenotype is wide, with the partial duplication of a few facial structures to complete dicephalus.
Has anyone been born with two faces?
(NEWSER) – As far as rare births go, this is one of the rarest: twins born with a single body but two faces. It’s a condition called cranial duplication or “diprosopus” — Greek for “two faces” — and only 35 such births are known to have occurred.
Who is tres Johnson?
Edward Stanton Johnson, III (born August 30, 1971 in Manhattan, New York) is a former American football Offensive Guard in the National Football League who played for the Washington Redskins and the Cleveland Browns.
How common is Diprosopus?
Diprosopus is a greek term meaning duplication of face. The patient typically has craniofacial duplication with normal trunk and limbs. It is a rare form of conjoined twins with a reported incidence of 1 case in 180,000 to 15 million births.
Can a baby be born with two faces?
In a rare medical case, a baby has been born in Indonesia with two faces because his conjoined twin did not develop properly in the womb. Two-month-old Gilang Andika, from Batam, a city in Indonesia about 20 miles (32km) across the sea from Singapore, has two faces and two brains but just one head.
Can humans have two heads?
Polycephaly is the condition of having more than one head. In humans, there are two forms of twinning that can lead to two heads being supported by a single torso. In dicephalus parapagus dipus, the two heads are side by side.