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A successful birth of healthy monozygotic dichorionic diamniotic (DD) twins of the same gender following a single vitrified-warmed blastocyst transfer

  • ASSISTED REPRODUCTION TECHNOLOGIES
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Abstract

Purpose

To report the world’s first case of live monozygotic dichorionic diamniotic (DD) twins after a single vitrified-warmed blastocyst transfer in a cycle during which hormone supplements were given.

Methods and results

The patient was a 39-year-old woman with tubal factor infertility. Six oocytes were retrieved and three blastocysts were vitrified after insemination with her husband’s sperm. Two months later, a single warmed blastocyst was transferred on the fifth day after progesterone supplementation during the luteal phase. Two gestational sacs and fetuses with heartbeats showing lambda sign under ultrasonography were recognized at 7 weeks of gestation and the patient gave birth to two female infants at gestational 33 weeks. The pathological examination demonstrated that the DD twin placentas fused in the third trimester.

Conclusions

This report suggests that the splitting of the transferred embryo took place after the blastocyst stage and the popular credo that the timing of embryo division governs the placental configuration of monozygotic twins (MZT) must be re-examined as to its veracity.

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Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Dr. Masayuki Horiguchi of Ishinomaki Red Cross Hospital for assistance with the pathological examination of the placenta; and Chiharu Onuma, Kanako Narasaki and Steve Beacall for assistance with English.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Kyono ART Clinic, 3F, 1-1-1, Honcho, Aobaku, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-0014, Japan

    Yuri Shibuya & Koichi Kyono

Authors
  1. Yuri Shibuya
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  2. Koichi Kyono
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Koichi Kyono.

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Capsule

A successful birth of healthy monozygotic dichorionic diamniotic (DD) twins of the same gender following a single vitrified-warmed blastocyst transfer.

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Shibuya, Y., Kyono, K. A successful birth of healthy monozygotic dichorionic diamniotic (DD) twins of the same gender following a single vitrified-warmed blastocyst transfer. J Assist Reprod Genet 29, 255–257 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-011-9707-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-011-9707-5

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