Fetus Papyraceus: Congenital Pulmonary Anomalies Associated with Congenital Aplasia Cutis on the Surviving Twin

Abstract

Aplasia cutis congenita (ACC) can be associated with fetus papyraceus. We report here the first case of ACC linked to fetus papyraceus with pulmonary anomalies. At birth, the patient presented with skin lesions of the trunk consisting of well-defined, symmetrically distributed, bilateral atrophic ulcerations. Physical examination was otherwise normal. Persistent bronchospasm occurred at the age of 7 months; computed tomography images showed small bilateral pulmonary bullae. At the age of 5 years, skin and pulmonary lesions had not extended. Although the mechanisms of ACC linked to fetus papyraceus are unclear, vascular ischemia is strongly suggested, and could explain the bilateral and symmetric congenital skin and lung aplasia.