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Incidence, origin, and character of cerebral injury in twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome treated with fetoscopic laser surgery.

Lopriore E, van Wezel-Meijler G, Middeldorp JM, Sueters M, Vandenbussche FP, Walther FJ

Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands. e.lopriore@lumc.nl

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to determine the incidence, origin, and character of cerebral lesions in monochorionic twins with twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome treated with fetoscopic laser surgery. STUDY DESIGN: This was a prospective study of monochorionic twins with twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome treated with fetoscopic laser surgery and monochorionic twins without twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome delivered at our center between June 2002 and September 2005, using cranial ultrasonography. RESULTS: Incidence of antenatally acquired severe cerebral lesions in the twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome group was 10% (8/84) and 2% (2/108) in the non-twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome group (P = .02). Incidence of severe cerebral lesions at discharge was 14% (12/84) in the twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome group and 6% (6/108) in the non-twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome group (P = .04). Antenatal injury was responsible for severe cerebral lesions in 67% (8/12) of the twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome group. CONCLUSION: Incidence of severe cerebral lesions in twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome treated with fetoscopic laser surgery is high and results mainly from antenatal injury.

Published 1 May 2006 in Am J Obstet Gynecol, 194(5): 1215-20.
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