[Caudal duplication: case report]

Area of Science:

• Embryology
• Developmental Biology
• Medical Case Reports

Background:

• Caudal duplication syndrome is a rare congenital anomaly.
• It is characterized by duplications and malformations of the gastrointestinal, genitourinary, and distal neural tube.
• The embryologic origins are complex and not fully understood.

Observation:

• A case report of a 21-year-old female patient with caudal duplication is presented.
• The patient exhibited clinical and imaging findings consistent with caudal duplication.
• Notably, the patient had normal psychomotor development.

Findings:

• The presented case features caudal duplication without any associated spinal column alterations.
• This specific presentation offers new insights into the spectrum of caudal duplication syndrome.
• The absence of spinal involvement challenges some existing theories on its etiology.

Implications:

• The findings suggest that caudal duplication may arise from an insult to the primitive hindgut during embryonic development.
• This case contributes to understanding the diverse etiologies of caudal duplication syndrome.
• Further research into early embryonic hindgut development may elucidate the precise mechanisms involved.