They Thought It Was A Tumor, But It Turned Out To Be His Own Twin
By
Muk Khatri in
Bizarre
On 9th October 2015
You've heard the term "evil twin" in the context of soap operas and cheap sci-fi movies, but did you know that some people are born with twins inside their own bodies?
The fetal twin may not necessarily be evil, but it is certainly creepy. Doctors usually come across these fetuses later in life when their hosts are being examined for what look like cancerous tumors. For the people who have to deal with what is known as "fetus in fetu," these masses are remnants of something that is bizarre beyond comprehension.
#1 Fetus in fetu is characterized by an abnormal mass in the body that resembles a fetus.
Only one in 500,000 people has to deal with this condition.
#2 Most of these fetuses are effectively dead, but sometimes, they can receive blood from the host.
But even those that are connected to a constant blood supply often have severe developmental issues, since many of them lack brains.
#3 In 2003, a seven-year-old boy named Alamjan Nematilaev discovered that he had a fetal twin living inside of him.
The tiny being, which was far more developed than most, even looked like its host brother.
#4 One theory for how fetus in fetu works has to do with the development of identical twins.
Since these twins share a placenta, it is possible that weaker twins attach themselves to the stronger ones and live off of them, much like parasites.
Can you imagine finding out that you had a twin living inside of you that was using your body as a host? It's a trippy thought that illustrates just how weird human biology can be.
