Skip to main content Accessibility help

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
×
Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-t5tsf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-14T06:27:43.882Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Chapter 11.2 - Twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome

placental circulation

from Section 2 - Fetal disease

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 February 2013

By
Geoffrey A. Machin
Edited by
Mark D. Kilby ,
Anthony Johnson  and
Dick Oepkes
Mark D. Kilby
Affiliation:
Department of Fetal Medicine, University of Birmingham
Anthony Johnson
Affiliation:
Baylor College of Medicine, Texas
Dick Oepkes
Affiliation:
Department of Obstetrics, Leiden University Medical Center
Get access

Summary

Introduction

Monochorionic (MC) twin and triplet pregnancies pose complex clinical problems and high risks of types that are not seen in dichorionic (DC) twin pregnancies. About 40% of MC twin pregnancies have major complications, and perinatal deaths are frequent. Fetal growth discordance (FGD) and twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) are the most common problems. The MC twin placenta is usually a truly single, not fused, placenta that is produced by a single zygote and intended for the metabolic support of a singleton fetus (but rare departures from this rule are noted in “Exceptions” below). When monozygotic (MZ) twinning occurs within 48 hours of conception, the whole zygote splits and the result is twinning of the embryos and their placentae (MZ, DC placentation). Thereafter, the inner cell mass (ICM) and trophoblast separate. If a twinning event is confined to the ICM after the ICM has physically separated from the trophoblast, the single structure and function of the MC twin placenta is retained as such. The single trophoblast resolutely declines to respond to the confined ICM twinning event, and does not “retrofit” to DC, although this would be much safer for the fetuses, and is close to the objective of laser occlusion in TTTS. There are three vascular consequences of the insertion of two or more umbilical cords into an MC placenta:

  1. Cord insertions: asymmetric cord insertions, e.g., eccentric/velamentous combination, with unequal parenchymal sharing if the cord insertions are markedly asymmetric, result in significant FGD [1, 2]; many TTTS cases have FGD and also have asymmetric cord insertions; twin reversed arterial perfusion (TRAP) is a risk if cord insertions are close together.

  2. Single umbilical artery: special considerations apply if one MC twin has a single umbilical artery. Acardiac TRAP fetuses all have a single umbilical artery.

  3. Interfetal vascular connections: the presence of interfetal vascular connections on the chorionic plate and in the placental parenchyma is a major determinant of MC twin fetal outcomes, especially TTTS.

Keywords

twin-to-twin transfusion syndromemonochorionic twinplacental circulationtriplet pregnancyvascular structuresfetusarteriovenous connectionsdichorionic twin pregnancy
Type
Chapter
Information
Fetal Therapy
Scientific Basis and Critical Appraisal of Clinical Benefits
 , pp. 156 - 165
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2012

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Fick, AL, Feldstein, VA, Norton, ME, et al. Unequal placental sharing and birth weight discordance in monochorionic diamniotic twins. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2006;195:178–83.Google Scholar
De Paepe, ME, Shapiro, S, Young, L, et al. Placental characteristics of selective birth weight discordance in diamniotic-monochorionic twin gestations. Placenta 2010;31:380–6.Google Scholar
Baergen, RN. Manual of Pathology of the Human Placenta, 2nd edn. New York, Springer, 2011;262.
Baergen, RN. Manual of Pathology of the Human Placenta, 2nd edn. New York, Springer. 2011; 268.
Wee, LY, Taylor, M, Watkins, N, et al. Characterisation of deep arterio-venous anastomoses within monochorionic placentae by vascular casting. Placenta 2005;26:19–24.Google Scholar
van der Wijngaard, JPHM, Lopriore, E, van der Salm, SM, et al. Deep-hidden anastomoses in monochorionic twin placentae are harmless. Prenat Diagn 2007;27:233–9.Google Scholar
Machin, G, Still, K, Lalani, T. Correlations of placental vascular anatomy and clinical outcomes in 69 monochorionic twin pregnancies. Am J Med Genet 1996;61:229–36.Google Scholar
Machin, GA, Feldstein, VA, van Gemert, MJ, et al. Doppler sonographic demonstration of arterio-venous anastomosis in monochorionic twin gestation. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2000;16:214–17.Google Scholar
Tan, TY, Taylor, MJ, Wee, L, et al. Doppler detection of arterio-arterial anastomoses predicts survival independent of stage in twin-twin transfusion syndrome. Obstet Gynecol 2004;103:1174–80.Google Scholar
De Paepe, ME, Shapiro, S, Greco, D, et al. Placental markers of the twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome in diamniotic-monochorionic twins: a morphometric analysis of deep artery-to-vein anastomoses. Placenta 2010;31:269–76.Google Scholar
Nikkels, PG, van Gemert, MJ, Sollie-Szarynska, KM, et al. Rapid onset of severe twin-twin transfusion syndrome caused by placental venous thrombosis. Pediatr Dev Pathol 2002;5:310–14.Google Scholar
Tan, TY, Denbow, M, Cox, P, et al. Arterio-arterial anastomosis occlusion manifesting as acute twin-twin transfusion syndrome. Placenta 2004;25:238–42.Google Scholar
Chmait, RH, Assaf, SA, Benirschke, K. Residual vascular communications in twin-twin transfusion syndrome treated with sequential laser surgery: frequency and clinical implications. Placenta 2010;31:611–14.Google Scholar
Machin, G. Non-identical monozygotic twins, intermediate twin types, zygosity testing, and the non-random nature of monozygotic twinning: a review. Am J Med Genet C Semin Med Genet 2009;151C:110–27.Google Scholar
Quintero, R, Kontopoulos, EV, Barness, E, et al. Twin-twin transfusion syndrome in a dichorionic-monozygotic twin pregnancy: the end of a paradigm? Fetal Pediatr Pathol 2010;29:81–8.Google Scholar
Baergen, RN. Manual of Pathology of the Human Placenta, 2nd edn. New York, Springer. 2011; 204.

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure coreplatform@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×