The cerebral malformation of the amnionic band syndrome

The Amnionic Band Syndrome is a not uncommon disorder of the fetus which may result in cerebral malformations that mimic anencephaly. It is important to distinguish these two entities because of differences in pathogenesis and risk of recurrence. A preliminary stillborn female of 29 weeks gestation with multiple anomalies, including cerebral-placental fusion, cranial agenesis, cleft lip, syndactyly and ectopic liver is presented. These malformations are typical of the Amnionic Band Syndrome, an entity which has not been described in the neurologic literature.