Case report of a dicephalus fetus with ectopic liver in cow

One apparently female dicephalus fetus of a hybrid Holstein cow have been carried to division of anatomy & embryology, faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahid Chamran University from Ahvaz slaughter house. Fetus age was estimated about 5.5 month, based on CRL = 39 cm for left fetus and CRL = 37cm for right ones. Some radiographs were prepared before dissection which revealed separated cervical and thoracic vertebra and a common lumbar vertebra. Two unequal hearts in a common pericardium, one pair lungs, one cranial vena cava, two caudal vena cava, two esophagus and two aorta which were blended each other and were made thoracic aorta, in thorax dissection were seen. Right liver was normal and was located in the abdominal cavity, but left ones was located in the thoracic cavity and were diagnosed ectopic liver. There are several reports about dicephalus fetuses in cows and other domestic animals, but it seems this case is the first report of this kind of malformation with ectopic liver in Iran.