Acardius acephalus in a goat kid – radiological and gross findings: a case repor

Abstract

We received a malformed Messinese Black goat foetus for examination. The foetus was part of a triple gestation, from which two male kids presented no morphological abnormalities and underwent regular slaughtering. X-ray examination and necropsy were performed. On the basis of gross and radiological findings the malformation was classified as acardius acephalus. In human medicine, acardius is a rare and severe abnormality reported as a unique complication of monozygotic twin pregnancies, and is known as twin-reversed arterial perfusion (TRAP).