Absence of the caudal somatopleure in a twin: a combined thoraco-abdominal defect

Many congenital defects of the ventral thoracoabdominal wall have been described. Among the most severe of these malformations are ectopia cordis, omphalocele, and vesicointestinal fissure. The simultaneous occurrence of all three of these anomalies has not been previously reported. We have recently seen an infant with an extensive anomaly combining these three defects of the ventral wall. The case is more remarkable because the infant's twin was normal.