Fetus in fetu

Fetus in fetu (or foetus in foetu) is a rare developmental abnormality in which a mass of tissue resembling a fetus forms inside the body of its twin. An early example of the phenomenon was described in 1808 by George William Young.

There are two hypotheses for the origin of a fetus in fetu. One hypothesis is that the mass begins as a normal fetus but becomes enveloped inside its twin. The other hypothesis is that the mass is a highly developed teratoma. Fetus in fetu is estimated to occur in 1 in 500,000 live births.

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