Difficult diagnosis and management of an heterokaryotypic monochorionic twin pregnancy with discordant fetal sex and 45,X/47,XYY karyotypes

Fetal Pediatr Pathol. 2010;29(6):424-30. doi: 10.3109/15513815.2010.505630.

Abstract

We report twins for whom ultrasound examinations revealed a Turner syndrome in the female fetus and a normal male fetus. A selective pregnancy termination was decided on the female fetus with hydrops. The death of both twins called in question the chorionic diagnosis. Amniotic fluid cytogenetic analysis revealed a 45,X karyotype in the female twin and a 47,XYY karyotype in the male twin. Molecular cytogenetic analysis on genital and renal cells showed different levels of 45,X/47,XYY mosaicism in both twins; molecular analysis on the amniocytes showed monozygosity. Monozygotic twins with discordant sex are very rare. This study showed the difficult diagnosis and management of a monochorionic twin pregnancy with discordant fetal sex.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Twin Study

MeSH terms

  • Diseases in Twins / genetics*
  • Fatal Outcome
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Pregnancy
  • Prenatal Diagnosis
  • Turner Syndrome / genetics*
  • Twins / genetics*
  • XYY Karyotype / genetics*