Pregnant woman
Pregnant woman

Pregnant woman in Maharashtra detected with rare 'fetus in fetu' condition

Doctors discovered the condition during the woman's sonography at the hospital, the official added.
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BULDHANA: A 32-year-old pregnant woman in Maharashtra's Buldhana district has been diagnosed with 'fetus in fetu,' an extremely rare condition in which a malformed fetus is located within the body of another fetus, an official said.

The rare congenital anomaly was detected a few days ago when the woman, who is 35 weeks pregnant, visited Buldhana District Women's Hospital for a routine check-up, the official said.

Doctors discovered the condition during the woman's sonography at the hospital, the official added.

Dr. Prasad Agarwal, an obstetrician and gynaecologist at the hospital, told reporters on Tuesday that 'fetus in fetu' is one of the rarest conditions—occurring in about one in five lakh pregnancies.

Only about 200 such cases have been reported worldwide, including 10-15 cases in India, he said.

"But I was fortunate and vigilant enough to notice something very unusual with this baby, who, at 35 weeks, appeared to be a grossly normal growing fetus with a few bones and a fetus-like structure in its abdomen," he said.

"It struck me immediately that this was not normal. It was 'fetus in fetu,' one of the rarest conditions in the world.

We sought a second opinion, and the case was confirmed by radiologist Dr. Shruti Thorat," he added.

The woman has been referred to a medical facility in neighbouring Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar for a safe delivery and further treatment, the hospital authorities said.

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