Sirenomelia with spina bifida.

Sirenomelia is an exceptionally rare cogenital malformation characterized by a single fused lower limb. This deformity is variably known as symmelia, sympodia monopodia, sympus and due to its resemblance to the mermaid of Greek and Roman mythology popularly also known as mermaid baby. Sirenomelia has prevalence of 1.5 4.2 cases per 100,000 births(l). About 300 cases of this lethal anomaly have been reported in the world literature(2). In India over the last 15 years, 8 reports have appeared describing this condition(3). Most of these reports have only given the description of the dysmorphism but not have made any attempt to study the possible pathogenesis of the syndrome. In the present report we have done a postmortem arteriogram study to find out the possible vascular abnormalities which are supposed to be one of the mechanisms