Quintuplet Pregnancy Following Transfer of Three Embryos. A Case Report.

Abstract

Background: This is a rare case of a quintuplet pregnancy of two sets of monozygotic twins (MZT) co-existing with a singleton pregnancy resulting from transfer of three cleaved embryos. This has not been reported previously in humans, and should be kept in mind when replacing multiple embryos using in vitro fertilization.Case Presentation: A 27 year old female had a successful twin livebirth after fetal reduction of unexpected quintuplet pregnancy following transfer of three embryos To ameliorate the adverse implications of multiple gestation, fetal reduction to twins by intracardiac puncture and aspiration was carried out at 11 weeks’ gestation. The patient has now delivered two healthy babies (a boy and a girl) at 35 weeks and 6 days by a lower segment caesarean section. Conclusion: Clinicians should keep in mind that patients undergoing assisted conception may develop monozygotic twinning of the embryos, which may negatively impact the pregnancy and raise an ethical and psychological dilemma for the patient.