An interesting rare case of sirenomelia

In sirenomelia the caudal tissues of the foetus fail to develop because of the "stealing" of blood by a vitelline vascular shunt from the distal aorta during embryogenesis interfering with foetal development. A 25 years old 2nd gravida delivered one full term premature grossly asphyxiated baby at BS Medical College on 24-10-1998. The examination of the dead foetus revealed no genitalia, no anal nor urethral opening and having a single lower limb with the single thigh and rudimentary leg. Skiagram of the foetus corroborated it to be a case of syrenomelia.