Perinatal outcome and management of single fetal death in twin pregnancy: A case series and review

Abstract

Objective: To determine neonatal outcome of single fetal death in twin pregnancy.

Methods: Retrospective study was performed on 30 cases of single fetal death in twin pregnancy during the period from August 1971 to December 1997 at Kitasato university hospital.

Results: The incidence of single fetal death in twin pregnancy was 6.2％ among total number of 481 twins. Prognosis of surviving infants was satisfactory except in one case, with malformation in 10 cases of dichorionic twins (total 242 sets). In contrast, neonatal death occurred in 6 cases of 20 monochorionic twins (total 239 sets), 4 of which were among 7 cases of twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS). Cerebral palsy occurred in 2 infants of monochorionic twins. One case was diagnosed as periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) within one week after birth, and this was the case of delivery 1 day after one twin fetal death.

Conclusion: Single fetal death itself occurs more often in monochorionic twins. There seems to be a benign outcome for the surviving dichorionic twins. On the other hand, there may be a grave outcome, though infrequent, for monochorionic twins when concomitant TTTS has existed. It is very important to identify the chorionicity by ultrasound examination in early pregnancy.