ISSN:
0003-276X
Keywords:
Life and Medical Sciences
;
Cell & Developmental Biology
Source:
Wiley InterScience Backfile Collection 1832-2000
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
The head of a young calf with diprosopus (two faces) and related cephalic malformations was dissected and grossly studied. The head was removed, preserved with 10% formalin, and the cephalic vessels were doubly injected with latex.The related outstanding cephalic abnormalities were: four eyes (tetrophthalmus) with the two adjacent eyes and orbits fused into a single median one; a large domeshaped head, characteristic of hydrocephalus; two mouths, each with a tongue, both of which protruded and retracted simultaneously; two cleft palates; duplication of the brain from the rostral end caudally to the mesencephalo-metencephalic junction with each side of the brain containing a pituitary gland, paired cerebral peduncles, and an aberrant circulus arteriosus (circle of Willis). There were four olfactory bulbs and optic nerves, but only three oculomotor and abducens nerves. The aberrant median third and sixth cranial nerves were interpreted to be a fusion of the two adjacent nerves if duplication had been complete.Diprosopus is classified as a form of anterior twinning. The anterior brain duplication probably is referable to a doubling of the cephalic end of the neural tube followed by a diverging migration of the two frontal poles so that these areas finally are located at opposite lateral sides of the skull. The degree of neural tube duplication determines the extent of brain duplication.
Additional Material:
2 Ill.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ar.1091600202
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