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Conjoined twins – sometimes popularly referred to as Siamese twins – are twins joined ''
in utero ''In Utero'' is the third and final studio album by American rock band Nirvana. It was released on September 21, 1993, by DGC Records. After breaking into the mainstream with their second album, ''Nevermind'' (1991), Nirvana hired Steve Albin ...
''. A very rare phenomenon, the occurrence is estimated to range from 1 in 49,000 births to 1 in 189,000 births, with a somewhat higher incidence in Southwest Asia and Africa. Approximately half are
stillborn Stillbirth is typically defined as fetal death at or after 20 or 28 weeks of pregnancy, depending on the source. It results in a baby born without signs of life. A stillbirth can result in the feeling of guilt or grief in the mother. The ter ...
, and an additional one-third die within 24 hours. Most live births are female, with a ratio of 3:1. Two theories exist to explain the origins of conjoined twins. The more generally accepted theory is ''fission'', in which the fertilized egg splits partially. The other theory, no longer believed to be the basis of conjoined twinning, is ''fusion'', in which a fertilized egg completely separates, but
stem cell In multicellular organisms, stem cells are undifferentiated or partially differentiated cells that can differentiate into various types of cells and proliferate indefinitely to produce more of the same stem cell. They are the earliest type of ...
s (which search for similar cells) find similar stem cells on the other twin and fuse the twins together. Conjoined twins share a single common chorion,
placenta The placenta is a temporary embryonic and later fetal organ that begins developing from the blastocyst shortly after implantation. It plays critical roles in facilitating nutrient, gas and waste exchange between the physically separate mate ...
, and
amniotic sac The amniotic sac, also called the bag of waters or the membranes, is the sac in which the embryo and later fetus develops in amniotes. It is a thin but tough transparent pair of membranes that hold a developing embryo (and later fetus) until sh ...
, although these characteristics are not exclusive to conjoined twins, as there are some monozygotic but non-conjoined twins who also share these structures ''in utero''.
Chang and Eng Bunker Chang Bunker and Eng Bunker (May 11, 1811 – January 17, 1874) were Siamese-American conjoined twin brothers whose fame propelled the expression " Siamese twins" to become synonymous for conjoined twins in general. They were widely exhibited as ...
(1811–1874) were brothers born in
Siam Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
(now Thailand) who traveled widely for many years and were labeled as The Siamese Twins. Chang and Eng were joined at the torso by a band of flesh, cartilage, and their fused livers. In modern times, they could have been easily separated. Due to the brothers' fame and the rarity of the condition, the term "Siamese twins" came to be associated with conjoined twins.


Causes

There are two theories about the development of conjoined twins. The first is that a single fertilized egg does not fully split during the process of forming identical twins. If the zygote division occurs after two weeks of the development of the
embryonic disc The bilaminar embryonic disc, bilaminar blastoderm or embryonic disc is the two-layered structure of epiblast and hypoblast, differentiated from the inner cell mass also known as the embryoblast. These two layers of cells lie between two cavitie ...
, it results in the formation of conjoined twins. The second theory is that a fusion of two fertilized eggs occurs earlier in development. Partial splitting of the
primitive node The primitive node (or primitive knot) is the organizer for gastrulation in most amniote embryos. In birds it is known as Hensen's node, and in amphibians it is known as the Spemann-Mangold organizer. It is induced by the Nieuwkoop center in am ...
and streak may result in the formation of conjoined twins. These twins are classified according to the nature and degree of their union. Occasionally, monozygotic twins are connected only by a common skin bridge or by a common liver bridge. The type of twins formed depends on when and to what extent abnormalities of the node and streak occurred. Misexpression of genes, such as Goosecoid, may also result in conjoined twins. Goosecoid activates inhibitors of BMP4 and contributes to regulation of head development. Over- or underexpression of this gene in laboratory animals results in severe malformations of the head region, including duplications, similar to some types of conjoined twins.


Types

Conjoined twins are typically classified by the point at which their bodies are joined. The most common types of conjoined twins are: * ''Thoraco-omphalopagus'' (28% of cases): Two bodies fused from the upper chest to the lower chest. These twins usually share a
heart The heart is a muscular Organ (biology), organ in most animals. This organ pumps blood through the blood vessels of the circulatory system. The pumped blood carries oxygen and nutrients to the body, while carrying metabolic waste such as ca ...
and may also share the
liver The liver is a major organ only found in vertebrates which performs many essential biological functions such as detoxification of the organism, and the synthesis of proteins and biochemicals necessary for digestion and growth. In humans, it i ...
or part of the
digestive system The human digestive system consists of the gastrointestinal tract plus the accessory organs of digestion (the tongue, salivary glands, pancreas, liver, and gallbladder). Digestion involves the breakdown of food into smaller and smaller compone ...
. * ''Thoracopagus'' (18.5%): Two bodies fused from the upper chest to lower belly. The heart is always involved in these cases. , separation of a genuinely shared heart has not offered survival to two twins; a designated twin may survive if allotted the heart, sacrificing the other twin. * ''Omphalopagus'' (10%): Two bodies fused at the lower abdomen. Unlike thoracopagus, the heart is never involved in these cases; however, the twins often share a liver, digestive system,
diaphragm Diaphragm may refer to: Anatomy * Thoracic diaphragm, a thin sheet of muscle between the thorax and the abdomen * Pelvic diaphragm or pelvic floor, a pelvic structure * Urogenital diaphragm or triangular ligament, a pelvic structure Other * Diap ...
and other organs. *
Parasitic twins A parasitic twin, also known as an asymmetrical or unequal conjoined twin, is the result of the processes that also produce vanishing twins and conjoined twins, and may represent a continuum between the two. Parasitic twins occur when a twin embry ...
(10%): Twins that are asymmetrically conjoined, resulting in one twin that is small, less formed, and dependent on the larger twin for survival. * '' Craniopagus'' (6%): Fused
skull The skull is a bone protective cavity for the brain. The skull is composed of four types of bone i.e., cranial bones, facial bones, ear ossicles and hyoid bone. However two parts are more prominent: the cranium and the mandible. In humans, th ...
s, but separate bodies. These twins can be conjoined at the back of the head, the front of the head, or the side of the head, but not on the face or the base of the skull. Other, less common types of conjoined twins include: * ''Cephalopagus'': Two faces on opposite sides of a single, conjoined head; the upper portion of the body is fused while the bottom portions are separate. These twins generally cannot survive due to severe malformations of the brain. Also known as janiceps (after the two-faced Roman deity
Janus In ancient Roman religion and myth, Janus ( ; la, Ianvs ) is the god of beginnings, gates, transitions, time, duality, doorways, passages, frames, and endings. He is usually depicted as having two faces. The month of January is named for Jan ...
). * ''Syncephalus'': One head with a single face but four ears, and two bodies. * ''Cephalothoracopagus'': Bodies fused in the head and thorax. In this type of twins, there are two faces facing in opposite directions, or sometimes a single face and an enlarged skull. * ''Xiphopagus'': Two bodies fused in the xiphoid cartilage, which is approximately from the navel to the lower breastbone. These twins almost never share any vital organs, with the exception of the liver. A famous example is
Chang and Eng Bunker Chang Bunker and Eng Bunker (May 11, 1811 – January 17, 1874) were Siamese-American conjoined twin brothers whose fame propelled the expression " Siamese twins" to become synonymous for conjoined twins in general. They were widely exhibited as ...
. * '' Ischiopagus'': Fused lower half of the two bodies, with spines conjoined end-to-end at a 180° angle. These twins have four arms; one, two, three or four legs; and typically one external set of
genitalia A sex organ (or reproductive organ) is any part of an animal or plant that is involved in sexual reproduction. The reproductive organs together constitute the reproductive system. In animals, the testis in the male, and the ovary in the female, a ...
and
anus The anus (Latin, 'ring' or 'circle') is an opening at the opposite end of an animal's digestive tract from the mouth. Its function is to control the expulsion of feces, the residual semi-solid waste that remains after food digestion, which, ...
. * ''Omphalo-Ischiopagus'': Fused in a similar fashion to ischiopagus twins, but facing each other with a joined abdomen akin to omphalopagus. These twins have four arms, and two, three, or four legs. * ''Parapagus'': Fused side by side with a shared
pelvis The pelvis (plural pelves or pelvises) is the lower part of the trunk, between the abdomen and the thighs (sometimes also called pelvic region), together with its embedded skeleton (sometimes also called bony pelvis, or pelvic skeleton). The ...
. Twins that are ''dithoracic parapagus'' are fused at the abdomen and pelvis, but not the thorax. Twins that are '' diprosopic parapagus'' have one trunk and two faces. Twins that are '' dicephalic parapagus'' have one trunk and two heads, and have two (dibrachius), three (tribrachius), or four (tetrabrachius) arms. * ''
Craniopagus parasiticus Craniopagus parasiticus is an extremely rare type of parasitic twinning occurring in about 2 to 3 of 5,000,000 births. In craniopagus parasiticus, a parasitic twin head with an undeveloped body is attached to the head of a developed twin. Fewer t ...
'': Like craniopagus, but with a second bodiless head attached to the dominant head. * ''Pygopagus'' or ''Iliopagus'': Two bodies joined at the
pelvis The pelvis (plural pelves or pelvises) is the lower part of the trunk, between the abdomen and the thighs (sometimes also called pelvic region), together with its embedded skeleton (sometimes also called bony pelvis, or pelvic skeleton). The ...
. * ''Rachipagus'': Twins joined along the back of their bodies, with fusion of the vertebral arches and the soft tissue from the head to the buttocks * ''Tricephalus'' (conjoined triplets): Extremely rare conjoining of 3 fetuses. Very few confirmed cases, both human and animal, are known.


Management


Separation

Surgery to separate conjoined twins may range from very easy to very difficult depending on the point of attachment and the internal parts that are shared. Due to the complex nature of these cases, some medical organizations such as the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (US, Pennsylvania), have assembled multidisciplinary medical teams that specialize in conjoined twins. Most cases of separation are extremely risky and life-threatening. Though there have been a number of successful separations throughout history, in many cases, the surgery results in the death of one or both of the twins, particularly if they are joined at the head or share a vital organ. This makes the
ethics Ethics or moral philosophy is a branch of philosophy that "involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong behavior".''Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy'' The field of ethics, along with aesthetics, concer ...
of surgical separation, where the twins can survive if not separated, contentious. Alice Dreger of
Northwestern University Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world. Charte ...
found the quality of life of twins who remain conjoined to be higher than is commonly supposed.
Lori and George Schappell Lori and George Schappell (born as Lori and Dori Schappell; September 18, 1961) are conjoined twins. George has performed as a country singer. Careers George has designed support equipment for people with physical disabilities, including a spec ...
and Abby and Brittany Hensel are notable examples. The first record of separating conjoined twins took place in the
Byzantine Empire The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...
in the 900s. One of the conjoined twins had already died, so the doctors of the town attempted to separate the dead twin from the surviving twin. The result was partly successful as the remaining twin lived for three days after separation. The next case of separating conjoined twins was recorded in 1689 in Germany several centuries later. The first recorded successful separation of conjoined twins was performed in 1689 by Johannes Fatio. In 1955, neurosurgeon Harold Voris (1902-1980) and his team at Mercy Hospital in Chicago performed the first successful operation to separate
craniopagus twins Craniopagus twins are conjoined twins that are fused at the cranium. The union may occur on any portion of the cranium, but does not primarily involve either the face or the foramen magnum; their brains are usually separate, but they may share so ...
(conjoined at the head), which resulted in long-term survival for both. The larger girl was reported in 1963 as developing normally, but the smaller girl was permanently impaired. In 1957, Bertram Katz and his surgical team made international medical history performing the world's first successful separation of conjoined twins sharing a vital organ. Omphalopagus twins John Nelson and James Edward Freeman (Johnny and Jimmy) were born in Youngstown, Ohio, on April 27, 1956. The boys shared a liver but had separate hearts and were successfully separated at North Side Hospital in Youngstown, Ohio, by Bertram Katz. The operation was funded by the Ohio Crippled Children's Service Society. Recent successful separations of conjoined twins include that of the separation of Ganga and Jamuna Shreshta in 2001, who were born in
Kathmandu, Nepal , pushpin_map = Nepal Bagmati Province#Nepal#Asia , coordinates = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = , subdivision_type1 = Province , subdivision_name1 = Bagmati Provi ...
, in 2000. The 97-hour surgery on the pair of
craniopagus twins Craniopagus twins are conjoined twins that are fused at the cranium. The union may occur on any portion of the cranium, but does not primarily involve either the face or the foramen magnum; their brains are usually separate, but they may share so ...
was a landmark one which took place in
Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...
; the team was led by neurosurgeons Chumpon Chan and Keith Goh. The surgery left Ganga with brain damage and Jamuna unable to walk. Seven years later, Ganga Shrestha died at the Model Hospital in Kathmandu in July 2009, at the age of eight, three days after being admitted for treatment of a severe chest infection. Infants Rose and Grace Attard, conjoined twins from Malta, were separated in the United Kingdom by court order '' Re A'' over the religious objections of their parents, Michaelangelo and Rina Attard. The twins were attached at the lower abdomen and spine. The surgery took place in November 2000, at St Mary's Hospital in
Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The ...
. The operation was controversial because Rose, the weaker twin, would die as a result of the procedure as her heart and lungs were dependent upon Grace's. However, if the operation had not taken place, it was certain that both twins would die. Grace survived to enjoy a normal childhood. In 2003, two 29-year-old women from Iran, Ladan and Laleh Bijani, who were joined at the head but had separate brains (craniopagus) were surgically separated in Singapore, despite surgeons' warnings that the operation could be fatal to one or both. Their complex case was accepted only because technologically advanced graphical imagery and modeling would allow the medical team to plan the risky surgery. However, an undetected major vein hidden from the scans was discovered during the operation. The separation was completed but both women died while still in surgery. In 2019 Safa and Marwa Ullah were separated at
Great Ormond Street Hospital Great Ormond Street Hospital (informally GOSH or Great Ormond Street, formerly the Hospital for Sick Children) is a children's hospital located in the Bloomsbury area of the London Borough of Camden, and a part of Great Ormond Street Hospita ...
in London, England. The twins, born January 2017 were joined at the top of the head with separate brains and a cylindrical shared skull with the twins each facing in opposite directions to one another. The surgery was jointly led by neurosurgeon Owase Jeelani and plastic surgeon Professor David Dunaway. The surgery presented particular difficulties due to a number of shared veins and a distortion in the shape of the girls' brains, causing them to overlap. The distortion would need to be corrected in order for the separation to go ahead. The surgery utilized a team of more than 100 including bio engineers, 3D modelers and a virtual reality designer. The separation was completed in February 2019 following a total of 52 hours of surgery over three separate operations. As of July 2019, both girls remain healthy and the family planned to return to their home in Pakistan in 2020.


History

The Moche culture of ancient
Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...
depicted conjoined twins in their ceramics dating back to 300 CE. Writing around 415 CE,
St. Augustine of Hippo Augustine of Hippo ( , ; la, Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430), also known as Saint Augustine, was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North Afr ...
, in his book, '' City of God'', refers to a man "double in his upper, but single in his lower half—having two heads, two chests, four hands, but one body and two feet like an ordinary man." According to
Theophanes the Confessor Theophanes the Confessor ( el, Θεοφάνης Ὁμολογητής; c. 758/760 – 12 March 817/818) was a member of the Byzantine aristocracy who became a monk and chronicler. He served in the court of Emperor Leo IV the Khazar before taking ...
, a Byzantine historian of the 9th century, around 385/386 CE, "in the village of Emmaus in Palestine, a child was born perfectly normal below the navel but divided above it, so that it had two chests and two heads, each possessing the senses. One would eat and drink but the other did not eat; one would sleep but the other stayed awake. There were times when they played with each other, when both cried and hit each other. They lived for a little over two years. One died while the other lived for another four days and it, too, died." In Arabia, the twin brothers
Hashim ibn Abd Manaf Hāshim ibn ʿAbd Manāf ( ar, هاشم بن عبد مناف; ), born ʿAmr al-ʿUlā (), was the great-grandfather of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and the progenitor of the ruling Banu Hashim clan of the Quraysh tribe in Mecca. At some point in ...
and 'Abd Shams were born with Hashim's leg attached to his twin brother's head. Legend says that their father,
Abd Manaf ibn Qusai Abd Manaf al-Mughirah ibn Qusai ( ar, عبد مناف ٱلمغيرة ٱبن قصي, ''ʿAbd Manāf al-Mughīrah ibn Quṣayy'') was a Qurayshi and great-great-grandfather of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. His father was Quṣai ibn Kilāb. Biogr ...
, separated his conjoined sons with a sword and that some priests believed that the blood that had flowed between them signified wars between their progeny (confrontations did occur between Banu al'Abbas and Banu Ummaya ibn 'Abd Shams in the year 750 AH).The Life of the Prophet Muhammad: Al-Sira Al-Nabawiyya By Ibn Kathir, Trevor Le Gassick, Muneer Fareed, pg. 132 The
Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
polymath A polymath ( el, πολυμαθής, , "having learned much"; la, homo universalis, "universal human") is an individual whose knowledge spans a substantial number of subjects, known to draw on complex bodies of knowledge to solve specific pro ...
Abū al-Rayhān al-Bīrūnī Abu Rayhan Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Biruni (973 – after 1050) commonly known as al-Biruni, was a Khwarazmian Iranian in scholar and polymath during the Islamic Golden Age. He has been called variously the "founder of Indology", "Father of Co ...
described conjoined twins in his book ''Kitab-al-Saidana''.A. Zahoor (1997)
Abu Raihan Muhammad al-Biruni
Hasanuddin U
The English twin sisters
Mary and Eliza Chulkhurst Mary and Eliza Chulkhurst (or Chalkhurst), commonly known as the Biddenden Maids (1100–1134), were a pair of conjoined twins supposedly born in Biddenden, Kent, England, in the year 1100. They are said to have been joined at both the shoulder ...
, who were conjoined at the back (pygopagus), lived from 1100 to 1134 (or 1500 to 1534) and were perhaps the best-known early historical example of conjoined twins. Other early conjoined twins to attain notice were the "Scottish brothers", allegedly of the
dicephalus Polycephaly is the condition of having more than one head. The term is derived from the Greek stems ''poly'' (Greek: "πολύ") meaning "many" and ''kephalē'' (Greek: "κεφαλή") meaning "head". A polycephalic organism may be thought o ...
type, essentially two heads sharing the same body (1460–1488, although the dates vary); the pygopagus Helen and Judith of Szőny,
Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Cr ...
(1701–1723), who enjoyed a brief career in music before being sent to live in a
convent A convent is a community of monks, nuns, religious brothers or, sisters or priests. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community. The word is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Angl ...
; and Rita and Cristina of Parodi of
Sardinia Sardinia ( ; it, Sardegna, label=Italian, Corsican and Tabarchino ; sc, Sardigna , sdc, Sardhigna; french: Sardaigne; sdn, Saldigna; ca, Sardenya, label= Algherese and Catalan) is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, aft ...
, born in 1829. Rita and Cristina were dicephalus tetrabrachius (one body with four arms) twins and although they died at only eight months of age, they gained much attention as a curiosity when their parents exhibited them in Paris. Several sets of conjoined twins lived during the nineteenth century and made careers for themselves in the
performing arts The performing arts are arts such as music, dance, and drama which are performed for an audience. They are different from the visual arts, which are the use of paint, canvas or various materials to create physical or static art objects. Perfo ...
, though none achieved quite the same level of fame and fortune as Chang and Eng. Most notably,
Millie and Christine McCoy Millie and Christine McKoy (also spelled ''McCoy''; July 11, 1851 – October 8, 1912) were African-American pygopagus conjoined twins who went by the stage names "The Carolina Twins", "The Two-Headed Nightingale" and "The Eighth Wonder of the Wor ...
(or McKoy), pygopagus twins, were born into slavery in North Carolina in 1851. They were sold to a
showman Showman can have a variety of meanings, usually by context and depending on the country. Australia Travelling showmen are people who run amusement and side show equipment at regional shows, state capital shows, events and festivals througho ...
, J.P. Smith, at birth, but were soon
kidnap In criminal law, kidnapping is the unlawful confinement of a person against their will, often including transportation/asportation. The asportation and abduction element is typically but not necessarily conducted by means of force or fear: the p ...
ped by a rival showman. The kidnapper fled to England but was thwarted because England had already banned slavery. Smith traveled to England to collect the girls and brought with him their mother, Monimia, from whom they had been separated. He and his wife provided the twins with an education and taught them to speak five languages, play music, and sing. For the rest of the century, the twins enjoyed a successful career as "The Two-Headed Nightingale" and appeared with the Barnum Circus. In 1912, they died of
tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, ...
, 17 hours apart. Giovanni and Giacomo Tocci, from
Locana Locana is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Turin in the Italian region Piedmont, located about northwest of Turin in the Orco Valley. In the early 1900s the town had about 7,000 residents. As of 2019 the population declined ...
, Italy, were immortalized in
Mark Twain Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910), known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist, entrepreneur, publisher, and lecturer. He was praised as the "greatest humorist the United States has pr ...
's short story "Those Extraordinary Twins" as fictitious twins Angelo and Luigi. The Toccis, born in 1877, were dicephalus tetrabrachius twins, having one body with two legs, two heads, and four arms. From birth they were forced by their parents to perform and never learned to walk, as each twin controlled one leg (in modern times,
physical therapy Physical therapy (PT), also known as physiotherapy, is one of the allied health professions. It is provided by physical therapists who promote, maintain, or restore health through physical examination, diagnosis, management, prognosis, pat ...
allows twins like the Toccis to learn to walk on their own). They are said to have disliked show business. In 1886, after touring the United States, the twins returned to Europe with their family. They are believed to have died around this time, though some sources claim they survived until 1940, living in seclusion in Italy.


Notable people


Born 19th century and earlier

*Mary and Eliza Chulkhurst, alleged names of the
Biddenden Maids Mary and Eliza Chulkhurst (or Chalkhurst), commonly known as the Biddenden Maids (1100–1134), were a pair of conjoined twins supposedly born in Biddenden, Kent, England, in the year 1100. They are said to have been joined at both the shoulder ...
(per tradition, born in the 12th century) of Kent, England. They are the earliest set of conjoined twins whose names are (purportedly) known. * Lazarus and Joannes Baptista Colloredo (1617 — after 1646), autosite-and-parasite pair * Helen and Judith of Szony (
Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Cr ...
, 1701 — 1723),
pygopagus Conjoined twins – sometimes popularly referred to as Siamese twins – are twins joined ''in utero''. A very rare phenomenon, the occurrence is estimated to range from 1 in 49,000 births to 1 in 189,000 births, with a somewhat higher incidence ...
. *
Chang and Eng Bunker Chang Bunker and Eng Bunker (May 11, 1811 – January 17, 1874) were Siamese-American conjoined twin brothers whose fame propelled the expression " Siamese twins" to become synonymous for conjoined twins in general. They were widely exhibited as ...
(1811–1874). The Bunker twins were born of Chinese origin in
Siam Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
(now
Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
), and the expression ''Siamese twins'' is derived from their case. They were joined by the areas around their xiphoid cartilages, but over time, the connective tissue stretched. *In 1834, a set of conjoined triplets were born in Cattania. Two of the heads shared a neck while the other head had its own. The infant, a male, was described by Galvagni. *
Millie and Christine McCoy Millie and Christine McKoy (also spelled ''McCoy''; July 11, 1851 – October 8, 1912) were African-American pygopagus conjoined twins who went by the stage names "The Carolina Twins", "The Two-Headed Nightingale" and "The Eighth Wonder of the Wor ...
(July 11, 1851 – October 8, 1912), (oblique
pygopagus Conjoined twins – sometimes popularly referred to as Siamese twins – are twins joined ''in utero''. A very rare phenomenon, the occurrence is estimated to range from 1 in 49,000 births to 1 in 189,000 births, with a somewhat higher incidence ...
). The McCoy twins were born into slavery in Columbus County, North Carolina, United States. They went by the stage names "The Two-Headed Nightingale" and "The Eighth Wonder of the World" and had an extensive career before retiring to the farm on which they were born. *
Giacomo and Giovanni Battista Tocci Giacomo and Giovanni Battista Tocci were conjoined twins born in Locana, Italy between 1875 and 1877 in either July or October. They toured in a circus and retired about 1900; details of their later lives are uncertain. Birth Their mother M ...
(1875? — 1912?), (
dicephalus Polycephaly is the condition of having more than one head. The term is derived from the Greek stems ''poly'' (Greek: "πολύ") meaning "many" and ''kephalē'' (Greek: "κεφαλή") meaning "head". A polycephalic organism may be thought o ...
tetrabrachius dipus) *Josefa and Rosa Blazek (January 20, 1878 — March 30, 1922),
pygopagus Conjoined twins – sometimes popularly referred to as Siamese twins – are twins joined ''in utero''. A very rare phenomenon, the occurrence is estimated to range from 1 in 49,000 births to 1 in 189,000 births, with a somewhat higher incidence ...
. The Blazek twins were born in Skrejšov, Bohemia (now the Czech Republic). They began performing in public exhibitions at the age of 13, and their act later included Rosa's son Franz. The sisters died in Chicago, Illinois.


Born 20th century

*
Daisy and Violet Hilton Daisy and Violet Hilton (5 February 1908 – early January 1969) were English-born entertainers, who were conjoined twins. They were exhibited in Europe as children, and toured the United States sideshow, vaudeville and American burlesque circ ...
of
Brighton Brighton () is a seaside resort and one of the two main areas of the City of Brighton and Hove in the county of East Sussex, England. It is located south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze A ...
, England (1908–1969),
pygopagus Conjoined twins – sometimes popularly referred to as Siamese twins – are twins joined ''in utero''. A very rare phenomenon, the occurrence is estimated to range from 1 in 49,000 births to 1 in 189,000 births, with a somewhat higher incidence ...
. The Hilton twins were performers who played musical instruments, sang, and danced. At the height of their career, they had the highest paid act in vaudeville. They also appeared in the movies '' Freaks'' and '' Chained for Life''. *
Lucio and Simplicio Godina Lucio Godino (March 8, 1908 – November 24, 1936) and Simplicio Godino (March 8, 1908 – December 8, 1936) were pygopagus conjoined twins from the island of Samar in the Philippines. At the age of 21 they married Natividad and Victorina Matos, ...
of Samar,
Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...
(1908–1936) *
Masha and Dasha Krivoshlyapova Maria and Daria ('Masha and Dasha') Krivoshlyapova (Мария и Дарья Кривошляповы; 3 January 1950 – 17 April 2003) were '' Ischiopagus tripus'' conjoined twins from Russia. They were removed from their mother's custody at b ...
of
Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
,
Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...
(1950–2003), the rarest form of conjoined twins, one of few cases of dicephalus tetrabrachius tripus (two heads, four arms, three legs) *
Ronnie and Donnie Galyon Ronald Lee Galyon and Donald Lee Galyon (October 28, 1951 – July 4, 2020) were conjoined twins. According to the 2009 ''Guinness World Records'', the Galyons were the oldest living set of conjoined twins in the world, and, as of 29 October 201 ...
of
Ohio Ohio () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Of the List of states and territories of the United States, fifty U.S. states, it is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 34th-l ...
(1951–2020), omphalopagus; longest-lived conjoined twins in the world at 68 years and 250 days. *Tjitske and Folkje de Vries of
Mûnein Mûnein ( nl, Molenend) is a village in Tytsjerksteradiel municipality in the province Friesland of the Netherlands. It had a population of around 580 in 2018.Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
(b. 1953) *Wariboko and Tamunotonye Davies, born July 25, 1953, in
Kano, Nigeria Kano (Ajami: كانو) is a city in northern Nigeria and the capital of Kano State. It is the second largest city in Nigeria after Lagos, with over four million citizens living within ; located in the Savanna, south of the Sahel, Kano is a ma ...
. Separated in London by a team led by Ian Aird. Tamunotonye died postoperatively. Wariboko became a nurse. *
Lori and George Schappell Lori and George Schappell (born as Lori and Dori Schappell; September 18, 1961) are conjoined twins. George has performed as a country singer. Careers George has designed support equipment for people with physical disabilities, including a spec ...
, born September 18, 1961, in
Reading, Pennsylvania Reading ( ; Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Reddin'') is a city in and the county seat of Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The city had a population of 95,112 as of the 2020 census and is the fourth-largest city in Pennsylvania after Philade ...
, American entertainers, craniopagus. As of 2022, they are the world's oldest living conjoined twins. * Ganga and Jamuna Mondal of India, born 1969 or 1970, known professionally as The Spider Girls and The Spider Sisters. Ischiopagus. *Anna and Barbara Rozycki (born 1970), the first conjoined twins successfully separated. * Ma Nan Soe and Ma Nan San (born 1971 in Myanmar), separated in July 1971 at Yangon Pediatric Hospital. They were joined from chest to belly button. Ma Nan San died after one month and seven days after operation. *Elisa and Lisa Hansen, Ogden, Utah (1977). Born by Caesarean section on October 18, 1977, were conjoined at the top of their head (craniopagus). They were separated 1979 after 16-hour surgery, were first to both survive surgery. Eliza lost the use of her right side after the surgery, but went on to complete school, win medals in the Special Olympics, work, and act in the theatre. Eliza died in 2020 (age 42). * Ladan and Laleh Bijani of
Shiraz Shiraz (; fa, شیراز, Širâz ) is the fifth-most-populous city of Iran and the capital of Fars Province, which has been historically known as Pars () and Persis. As of the 2016 national census, the population of the city was 1,565,572 p ...
,
Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
(1974–2003); died during separation surgery in
Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...
. Craniopagus. * Baby Girl A and Baby Girl B (born 1977 in
New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delawa ...
) shared a single six-chambered heart. Separation surgery, led by C. Everett Koop, involved the instant death of Baby Girl A; the difficult ethical and religious concerns generated significant local newspaper coverage. Baby Girl B survived for 3 months. * Viet and Duc Nguyen, born on February 25, 1981, in Kon Tum Province,
Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making ...
, and separated in 1988 in
Ho Chi Minh City , population_density_km2 = 4,292 , population_density_metro_km2 = 697.2 , population_demonym = Saigonese , blank_name = GRP (Nominal) , blank_info = 2019 , blank1_name = – Total , blank1_ ...
. Viet died on October 6, 2007. Ischiopagus. *Maria and Consolata Mwakikuti of Tanzania (1986?–2018); conjoined by the abdomen; died of respiratory problems resulting from an abnormal, inoperable chest deformity. *
Patrick and Benjamin Binder Patrick and Benjamin Binder (born February 2, 1987) were conjoined twins, joined at the head, born in Germany in early 1987, and separated at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center on September 7, 1987. They were the first twins to be successfully s ...
, separated in 1987 by team of doctors led by Ben Carson. Craniopagus. *Andrew and Alex Olson, born in 1987, separated in April 1988 at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Omphalopagus. Alex died in 2018. *
Katie and Eilish Holton Katie (24 August 1988 – 1992) and Eilish Holton (born 24 August 1988) were Irish conjoined twins born to Mary and Liam Holton of Donadea, County Kildare. They were joined at the pelvis and the legs and were the subject of several newspaper artic ...
, born August 1988 in Ireland, separated at age 3 and a half. Katie died 4 days after the separation surgery due to a weak heart which went into cardiac arrest. * Abigail and Brittany Hensel are
dicephalic Polycephaly is the condition of having more than one head. The term is derived from the Greek stems ''poly'' (Greek: "πολύ") meaning "many" and ''kephalē'' (Greek: "κεφαλή") meaning "head". A polycephalic organism may be thought o ...
parapagus twins born on March 7, 1990, in Carver County,
Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over t ...
. Both graduated in 2012 from Bethel University, St. Paul, hired as teachers. *Tiesha and Iesha Turner (born 1991 in
Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
), separated in 1992 at Texas Children's Hospital in Houston, Texas. Omphalopagus. *Ashley and Ashil Fokeer, born on November 2, 1992, in
Mauritius Mauritius ( ; french: Maurice, link=no ; mfe, label= Mauritian Creole, Moris ), officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean about off the southeast coast of the African continent, east of Madagascar. It ...
* Joseph and Luka Banda (born January 23, 1997, in
Zambia Zambia (), officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central, Southern and East Africa, although it is typically referred to as being in Southern Africa at its most central point. Its neighbours are t ...
), separated in 1997 in South Africa by Ben Carson (with a later intervention in 2001 to artificially close their skulls). Craniopagus. *José Armando and José Luis Cevallos Herrera were born in September 1999 in Milagro, Ecuador. They were accepted in 2021 to the State University of Milagro. *Maria del Carmen Andrade Solis and Maria Guadalupe Andrade Solis (better known as Carmen and Lupita) were born in June 2000 in
Veracruz Veracruz (), formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave), is one of the 31 states which, along with Me ...
,
Mexico Mexico (Spanish language, Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a List of sovereign states, country in the southern portion of North America. It is borders of Mexico, bordered to the north by the United States; to the so ...
. They later moved to the United States for healthcare with their parents.


Born 21st century

* Carl and Clarence Aguirre, born with vertical craniopagus in Silay City,
Negros Occidental Negros Occidental ( hil, Nakatungdang Negros; tl, Kanlurang Negros), officially the Province of Negros Occidental, is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Western Visayas Regions of the Philippines, region. ...
, on April 21, 2002. They were successfully separated on August 4, 2004. *Tabea and Lea Block, from Lemgo, Germany, were born as craniopagus twins joined on the tops of their heads on August 9, 2003. The girls shared some major veins, but their brains were separate. They were separated on September 16, 2004, although Tabea died about 90 minutes later. *Sohna and Mohna from
Amritsar Amritsar (), historically also known as Rāmdāspur and colloquially as ''Ambarsar'', is the second largest city in the Indian state of Punjab, after Ludhiana. It is a major cultural, transportation and economic centre, located in the Majha ...
, India. Born in New Delhi on June 14, 2003. They have two hearts, arms, kidneys and spinal cords while share liver, gall bladder and legs. *
Anastasia and Tatiana Dogaru Anastasia and Tatiana Dogaru (born 13 January 2004) are craniopagus conjoined twins. They were scheduled to begin the first of several surgeries to separate them at Rainbow Babies and Children's Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio. However, in Augu ...
, born outside
Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus ( legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...
in
Lazio it, Laziale , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...
,
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
, on January 13, 2004. As
craniopagus twins Craniopagus twins are conjoined twins that are fused at the cranium. The union may occur on any portion of the cranium, but does not primarily involve either the face or the foramen magnum; their brains are usually separate, but they may share so ...
, the top of Tatiana's head is attached to the back of Anastasia's head. *
Lakshmi Tatma Lakshmi Tatma is an Indian girl born in 2005 in a village in Araria district, Bihar, with "4 arms and 4 legs." She was actually one of a pair of ischiopagus conjoined twins, one of which was headless because its head had atrophied and chest ha ...
(born 2005) was an ischiopagus conjoined twin born in
Araria Araria is a city and a municipality that is the headquarters of Araria district in the Indian state of Bihar. Araria is situated in the northern part of Bihar. Etymology During the British Raj the area was under the administration of a Britis ...
district in the state of
Bihar Bihar (; ) is a state in eastern India. It is the 2nd largest state by population in 2019, 12th largest by area of , and 14th largest by GDP in 2021. Bihar borders Uttar Pradesh to its west, Nepal to the north, the northern part of West ...
,
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...
. She had four arms and four legs, resulting from a joining at the pelvis with a headless undeveloped parasitic twin. * In 2005 a set of conjoined triplets was detected, characterized as tricephalus, tetrabrachius, and tetrapus parapagothoracopagus, and the pregnancy interrupted at 22 weeks. *
Kendra and Maliyah Herrin Kendra Deene Herrin and Maliyah Mae Herrin (born February 26, 2002) are former conjoined twins. They were separated in August 2006. They were the first set of conjoined twins to be separated to share a kidney. Kendra retained their shared kidney ...
, ischiopagus twins separated in 2006 at age 4 *
Krista and Tatiana Hogan Krista and Tatiana Hogan (born October 25, 2006) are Canadians who are conjoined craniopagus twins. They are joined at the head and share a brain. They were born in Vancouver, British Columbia, and are the only unseparated conjoined twins of th ...
,
Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
twins conjoined at the head. Born October 25, 2006. Share part of their brain and can pass sensory information and thoughts between each other. * Trishna and Krishna from
Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mo ...
were born in December 2006. They are craniopagus twins, joined on the tops of their skulls and sharing a small amount of brain tissue. In 2009, they were separated in
Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/ Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a metro ...
,
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...
. *
Maria and Teresa Tapia Maria and Teresa Tapia (born April 8, 2010) are formerly conjoined twins born in the Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles arch ...
, born in the Dominican Republic on April 8, 2010. Conjoined by the liver, pancreas, and a small portion of their small intestine. Separation occurred on November 7, 2011, at
Children's Hospital of Richmond at VCU Children's Hospital of Richmond at VCU (CHoR) is a nationally ranked pediatric acute care children's hospital located within VCU Medical Center in Richmond, Virginia. The hospital has 144 pediatric beds. It is affiliated with The Virginia Common ...
. * Aung Myat Kyaw and Aung Khant Kyaw (born in May 2011, Mandalay, Myanmar), connected at pelvis. *Jesus and Emanuel de Nazaré are
dicephalic Polycephaly is the condition of having more than one head. The term is derived from the Greek stems ''poly'' (Greek: "πολύ") meaning "many" and ''kephalē'' (Greek: "κεφαλή") meaning "head". A polycephalic organism may be thought o ...
parapagus twins born in Pará, Brazil on December 19, 2011. *Zheng Han Wei and Zheng Han Jing, born in China on August 11, 2013. Conjoined by their sternum, pericardium, and liver. In 2014, they were separated in Shanghai, China, at the Shanghai Children's Medical Center. *Asa and Eli Hamby were born in 2014 in
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...
but died less than two days after birth due to heart failure. The twins were dicephalic parapagus having two heads but being conjoined at the torso, arms and legs. They had separate spinal columns but one heart making postnatal operations impossible. *Jadon and Anias McDonald, born in September 2015. Conjoined by the head. Successfully separated at Children's Hospital of
Montefiore Medical Center Montefiore Medical Center is a premier academic medical center and the primary teaching hospital of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, New York City. Its main campus, the Henry and Lucy Moses Division, is located in the Norwoo ...
by James T. Goodrich in October 2016. *Erin and Abby Delaney, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on July 24, 2016. Conjoined by the head. They were successfully separated at
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) is a children's hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with its primary campus located in the University City neighborhood of West Philadelphia in the campus of the University of Pennsylvania. The ...
on June 16, 2017. *Marieme and Ndeye Ndiaye, twin girls born in Senegal in 2017, living in Cardiff, UK in 2019. *Safa and Marwa Bibi, twin girls born in Hayatabad, Pakistan on January 17, 2017, conjoined by the head. Successfully separated at Great Ormond Street Hospital in February 2019. *Callie and Carter Torres, born January 30, 2017, in Houston Texas, from Blackfoot Idaho. They are Omphalo-Ischiopagus conjoined twins, attached by their pelvic area and sharing all organs from the belly button down with just one leg each. *Yiğit and Derman Evrensel, twin boys born on June 21, 2018, Antalya, Turkey. They are craniopagus twins and were separated at Great Ormond Street Hospital in 2019 by the same surgeons that separated Safa and Marwa Bibi. *Ervina and Prefina, born June 29, 2018, in the
Central African Republic The Central African Republic (CAR; ; , RCA; , or , ) is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Chad to the north, Sudan to the northeast, South Sudan to the southeast, the DR Congo to the south, the Republic of th ...
. They were separated on June 5, 2020, at the Bambino Gesù Pediatric Hospital in
Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus ( legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...
,
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
. *Mercy and Goodness Ede, born August 13, 2019, conjoined by the chest and abdomen. Successfully separated at the National Hospital in Abuja, Nigeria in November 2019. *Marie-Cléa and Marie-Cléanne Papillon, born in Mauritius in 2019. Conjoined from neck to abdomen, but also from heart which had seven rooms, instead of four. Marie-Cléa did not survive the surgery to separate the two. *Susannah and Elizabeth Castle, born April 22, 2021, and separated December 10, 2021 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.


In fiction

Conjoined twins have been the focus of several noteworthy works of entertainment, including: * '' Stuck on You'', a 2003 American comedy film screen written and directed by the Farrelly brothers and starring Matt Damon and Greg Kinnear as conjoined twin brothers, whose conflicting aspirations provide both conflict and humorous situations, in particular when one of them wishes to move to Hollywood to pursue a career as an actor. * ''Alone'', a Thai horror film following Pim after the death of her sister Ploy and their subsequent separation. * '' Blood Sisters'' focuses on a French Canadian model who has a separated conjoined twin. *Irish author
Sarah Crossan Sarah Crossan is an Irish author. She is best known for her books for young adults, including ''Apple and Rain'' and ''One'', for which she has won several awards. Biography Crossan graduated from Warwick University in 1999 with a degree in Ph ...
won the Carnegie Medal for her
verse novel A verse novel is a type of narrative poetry in which a novel-length narrative is told through the medium of poetry rather than prose. Either simple or complex stanzaic verse-forms may be used, but there will usually be a large cast, multiple ...
, ''One''. The story follows the life and survival of conjoined twin sisters. The book also won ''
The Bookseller ''The Bookseller'' is a British magazine reporting news on the publishing industry. Philip Jones is editor-in-chief of the weekly print edition of the magazine and the website. The magazine is home to the ''Bookseller''/Diagram Prize for Oddest ...
'' 2016 prize for young adult fiction and the Irish Children's Book of the Year. * '' Tarot: Witch of the Black Rose'' graphic novel debut the ghost twin, She/they are constant companion(s) of Skeleton Man, her protector. *The Broadway musical ''
Side Show In North America, a sideshow is an extra, secondary production associated with a circus, carnival, fair, or other such attraction. Types There are four main types of classic sideshow attractions: *The Ten-in-One offers a program of ten seq ...
'' depicts the lives of real-life conjoined twins ''
Daisy and Violet Hilton Daisy and Violet Hilton (5 February 1908 – early January 1969) were English-born entertainers, who were conjoined twins. They were exhibited in Europe as children, and toured the United States sideshow, vaudeville and American burlesque circ ...
'', portrayed in the original Broadway production by Alice Ripley and Emily Skinner. * ''
Reiko the Zombie Shop is a 1998 Japanese manga series by Rei Mikamoto, chronicling the exploits of Reiko Himezono, a teenage "zombie shop", or a "...necromancer-for-hire employed by bereaved families to resurrect departed loved ones for a short time so that the de ...
'', 1990s women's horror manga, bonus chapters focus on unexpectedly life of Noriko and her "sister". Summoners Dr. Zero can resurrect and control fuse zombies called medicinal death. * MA GI & CA L., a conjoined magical alternative android, from psychology horror manga Magical Girl Apocalypse. * In the TV series ''
The Addams Family ''The Addams Family'' is a fictional family created by American cartoonist Charles Addams. They originally appeared in a series of 150 unrelated single-panel cartoons, about half of which were originally published in ''The New Yorker'' over ...
'', there are extended family members of the Addams Family who are mentioned to have two heads. In "Mother Lurch Visits the Addams Family,"
Morticia Addams Morticia Addams (née Frump) is a fictional character from the '' Addams Family'' multimedia franchise created by American Charles Addams in 1933. She plays the role of the family's reserved matriarch. Morticia Addams has been portrayed in seve ...
mentions that she has a Cousin Slimy who has two good heads on his shoulder. In "Progress and the Addams Family," Morticia was making a knitted hat for Cousin Plato where
Gomez Addams Gomez Addams is the patriarch of the fictional Addams Family, created by cartoonist Charles Addams for ''The New Yorker'' magazine in the 1940s, and subsequently portrayed on television, in film and on the stage. Cartoons In Charles Addams's orig ...
has stated that his left head is size 6 and his right head is size 8 3/4. In "Lurch's Little Helper," Morticia made a portrait of Cousin Crimp who has a male head and a female head. *
Tamil Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia ** Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils **Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, na ...
actor
Suriya Saravanan Sivakumar (born 23 July 1975), known by his stage name Suriya, is an Indian actor, producer, television presenter and a philanthropist. He primarily works in Tamil cinema where he is one of the highest paid actors. He received numer ...
portrays Vimalan and Akilan, conjoined twins in the 2012 film, ''
Maattrraan ''Maattrraan'' () is a 2012 Indian Tamil-language action thriller film co-written and directed by K. V. Anand and produced by Kalpathi S. Aghoram, S. Ganesh and S. Suresh under the banner AGS Entertainment. It stars Suriya in dual roles, alon ...
''. * The book '' The Girls'', by Canadian novelist Lori Lansens, published in 2005, is the fictional autobiography of Canadian craniopagus twins Rose and Ruby Darlen with Slovakian background. * Irish author
Sarah Crossan Sarah Crossan is an Irish author. She is best known for her books for young adults, including ''Apple and Rain'' and ''One'', for which she has won several awards. Biography Crossan graduated from Warwick University in 1999 with a degree in Ph ...
won the Carnegie Medal for her
verse novel A verse novel is a type of narrative poetry in which a novel-length narrative is told through the medium of poetry rather than prose. Either simple or complex stanzaic verse-forms may be used, but there will usually be a large cast, multiple ...
, ''One''. The story follows the life and survival of conjoined twin sisters. The book also won ''
The Bookseller ''The Bookseller'' is a British magazine reporting news on the publishing industry. Philip Jones is editor-in-chief of the weekly print edition of the magazine and the website. The magazine is home to the ''Bookseller''/Diagram Prize for Oddest ...
'' 2016 prize for young adult fiction and the Irish Children's Book of the Year. * In '' Lilo & Stitch: The Series'', Swapper are Ischiopagus twin green stubby limbed lizard-like experiment with black eyes, purple markings on his back and three purple-tipped tendrils on each head that can emit a green ray from each head's eyes. The ray will swap the minds and voices of the targets, and the only means of returning to normal is through Swapper choosing to do so. Because Swapper is two heads on the same body, Swapper is two beings cooperating as one, though their personalities mirror each other: they can be indecisive at times but usually work well together. * In '' Big-Top Pee-wee'', the Cabrini Circus has some conjoined twins named Ruth and Dot (portrayed by Helen Infield Siff and Carol Infield Sender). * In ''
The Addams Family ''The Addams Family'' is a fictional family created by American cartoonist Charles Addams. They originally appeared in a series of 150 unrelated single-panel cartoons, about half of which were originally published in ''The New Yorker'' over ...
'' and ''
Addams Family Values ''Addams Family Values'' is a 1993 American supernatural black comedy film directed by Barry Sonnenfeld and written by Paul Rudnick, based on the characters created by Charles Addams. It is the sequel to '' The Addams Family'' (1991). The fil ...
'', there are conjoined twins named Flora and Fauna Amor (portrayed by Darlene and Maureen Sue Levin) who were once dates to Gomez Addams and
Uncle Fester Uncle Fester is a member of the fictional Addams Family. He was played by Jackie Coogan in the original television series, by Christopher Lloyd in the two feature films, by Nick Kroll in the 2019 and 2021 animated features, by Fred Armisen in ...
. Both films also featured a two-headed relative named Dexter and Donald Addams (portrayed by Douglas Brian Martin and Steven M. Martin). * In ''
The Addams Family ''The Addams Family'' is a fictional family created by American cartoonist Charles Addams. They originally appeared in a series of 150 unrelated single-panel cartoons, about half of which were originally published in ''The New Yorker'' over ...
'' cartoon in 1992, the episode "N.J. Addams" featured Aunt Noggin who was a two-headed person who wears a Victorian dress. One head is black and speaks in a Jamaican accent and the other head is Caucasian and speaks in a Brooklyn accent. * In '' Midnighter'' issue #13, Shock & Awe is a superheroine working for Los Angeles Strike Force. * Delilah and Jezebel in video games ''
Bully Bullying is the use of force, coercion, hurtful teasing or threat, to abuse, aggressively dominate or intimidate. The behavior is often repeated and habitual. One essential prerequisite is the perception (by the bully or by others) of an i ...
''. * ''
CatDog ''CatDog'' is an American animated television series created by Peter Hannan for Nickelodeon. The series follows the life of yellow conjoined brothers of different species, with one half of the resultant animal being a cat and the other a dog. ...
'' depicts Cat and Dog, a hybrid of a dog and cat who are brothers. * On a ''
LeapFrog Enterprises LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc. (commonly known as LeapFrog) is an educational entertainment and electronics company based in Emeryville, California. LeapFrog designs, develops, and markets technology-based learning products and related content for ...
'' commercial advertising the '' Leapster'' from 2007, a boy is constantly playing video games from the console itself. The more he praises the Leapster, the more he grows extra heads. *
Zaphod Beeblebrox Zaphod Beeblebrox () is a fictional character in the various versions of the comic science fiction series ''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'' by Douglas Adams. He is from a planet in the vicinity of Betelgeuse, and is a "semi-half-cousin" ...
is a character from
Douglas Adams Douglas Noel Adams (11 March 1952 – 11 May 2001) was an English author and screenwriter, best known for ''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy''. Originally a 1978 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (radio series), BBC radio comedy, ''The H ...
' ''
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy ''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'' (sometimes referred to as ''HG2G'', ''HHGTTG'', ''H2G2'', or ''tHGttG'') is a comic science fiction, comedy science fiction franchise created by Douglas Adams. Originally The Hitchhiker's Guide to th ...
'', who has a second head along with a third arm. * Vaka-Waka and Nurp-Naut in ''
Cartoon Network Cartoon Network (often abbreviated as CN) is an American cable television channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. It is a part of The Cartoon Network, Inc., a division that also has the broadcasting and production activities of Boomerang, ...
and ''
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's ''
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''. * Fender and Bender (also known individually as HeadBanger) are characters in the 90's television series '' Toxic Crusaders'', based on '' The Toxic Avenger'' films by ''
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''. Fender is supposed to be a
Mad Scientist The mad scientist (also mad doctor or mad professor) is a stock character of a scientist who is perceived as " mad, bad and dangerous to know" or "insane" owing to a combination of unusual or unsettling personality traits and the unabashedly am ...
while Bender is a Surfer. * ''
Dragon Tales ''Dragon Tales'' is an animated educational television, educational fantasy children's television series created by Jim Coane and Ron Rodecker and developed by Coane, Wesley Eure, Jeffrey Scott, Cliff Ruby and Elana Lesser and produced by Sony Pi ...
'', a children's show, depicts Zak and Wheezie (voiced by Jason Michas and Kathleen Barr) as a two-headed dragon that are brother and sister making them dicephalic parapagus twins. * In the Canadian mobile game My Singing Monsters, a bird-like species known as the Quibble is made up of elements Air and Water. The two-headed species plays a piano and has different colored feathers on both heads. *''
The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, ...
'' features Hugo in " Treehouse of Horror VII", who is
Bart Simpson Bartholomew JoJo "Bart" Simpson is a fictional character in the American animated television series ''The Simpsons'' and part of the Simpson family. He is voiced by Nancy Cartwright and first appeared on television in '' The Tracey Ullman Sh ...
's conjoined twin. They were separated at birth by
Dr. Hibbert Dr. Julius Michael Hibbert, M.D. is a recurring character on the television animated sitcom ''The Simpsons''. He is Springfield's most prominent medical professional. Although he has a kind and warm persona, he is also often characterized as gree ...
and Hugo was imprisoned in the Simpsons' attic. *''
The Oblongs ''The Oblongs'' is an American adult animated sitcom created by Angus Oblong and Jace Richdale. It was Mohawk Productions' first venture into animation. The series premiered on April 1, 2001 on The WB, and was removed on May 20th, leaving the la ...
'', depicts Biff Oblong ( Randy Sklar) and Chip Oblong ( Jason Sklar)—17-year-old conjoined twins who are attached at the waist and share a middle leg due to their valley's pollution and radiation. * In the
DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. ( doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with the ...
series ''
Hitman Contract killing is a form of murder or assassination in which one party hires another party to kill a targeted person or persons. It involves an illegal agreement which includes some form of payment, monetary or otherwise. Either party may b ...
'', villain Moe and Joe Dubelz is a conjoined twin gangster. Moe was alive at the time of introduction, but Joe had already died and is, in fact, undergoing putrefaction. * In the episode " Humbug" of ''
The X-Files ''The X-Files'' is an American science fiction on television, science fiction drama (film and television), drama television series created by Chris Carter (screenwriter), Chris Carter. The series revolves around Federal Bureau of Investigation ...
'',
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portrayed a circus performer named Lanny, with an underdeveloped conjoined twin named Leonard. The episode also includes a reference to Chang and Eng. * '' The Prophet of Yonwood'' has a reference to Chang and Eng when the main character, Nickie, finds a picture of them in her great-grandfather's old house in
Siam Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
. * In the anime ''
Naruto ''Naruto'' is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto. It tells the story of Naruto Uzumaki, a young ninja who seeks recognition from his peers and dreams of becoming the Hokage, the leader of his village. T ...
'', Sakon (左近) and his conjoined twin brother Ukon (右近) are the strongest of the Sound Four and count as one member due to their abilities to merge bodies and kill an opponent at a cellular level. They both serve as antagonists. * The American medical drama ''
Grey's Anatomy ''Grey's Anatomy'' is an American medical drama television series that premiered on March 27, 2005, on ABC as a mid-season replacement. The series focuses on the lives of surgical interns, residents, and attendings as they develop into s ...
'' featured several cases of conjoined twins. * The 2001 movie ''
Not Another Teen Movie ''Not Another Teen Movie'' is a 2001 American teen parody film directed by Joel Gallen and written by Mike Bender, Adam Jay Epstein, Andrew Jacobson, Phil Beauman, and Buddy Johnson. It features an ensemble cast including Chyler Leigh, Chris ...
'' depicts Kara and Sara Fratelli, conjoined twins portrayed by Samaire Armstrong and
Nectar Rose Nectar Amber Rose is an American actress best known for playing the Gynoid Lenore in the science-fiction film ''Serenity'', a role that required her to maintain a single position for two days of filming. Her first appearance in a feature film wa ...
. * The musical group '' Evelyn, Evelyn'' depicts a pair of conjoined twin sisters—often referred to as "The Evelyn Sisters"—in many of their songs and music videos. The fictional sisters are shown to be
child prostitutes Child prostitution is prostitution involving a child, and it is a form of commercial sexual exploitation of children. The term normally refers to prostitution of a minor, or person under the legal age of consent. In most jurisdictions, child pr ...
in the music video for "Sandy Fishnets", and the song "Evelyn, Evelyn" describes their longing for privacy and to be separated from one another. *
The Bride with White Hair ''The Bride with White Hair'' is a 1993 Hong Kong wuxia film directed by Ronny Yu, starring Brigitte Lin and Leslie Cheung. The film's main character, Lian Nichang, is loosely based on the protagonist of Liang Yusheng's novel '' Baifa Monü Zh ...
, a 1993 Hong Kong movie, features conjoined twin villains. * The animated series ''
Duckman ''Duckman: Private Dick/Family Man'' is an American adult animated sitcom that aired on the USA Network from March 5, 1994, through September 6, 1997. It was created and developed by Everett Peck, and is based on characters he created in his 19 ...
'' featured Eric T. Duckman's sons Charles (voiced by
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in 1994–1996,
Pat Musick Patricia Anne Musick is an American voice actress, who has provided numerous voices in many television shows, films and video games. She and her husband, Jeff Whitman, a personal manager and set construction coordinator, are the parents of actre ...
in 1997) and Mambo (voiced by
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) who are dicephalic parapagus twins where their heads share a body. * ''Fran Bow'', a 2015 indie psychological horror game, includes Clara and Mia Buhalmet, a set of mentally ill conjoined twins, as characters. They were surgically sewn together, much like an experiment performed by Josef Mengele, also known as the Angel of Death, in which a pair of twins were sewn together back to back by blood vessels and organs, in an attempt to create conjoined twins. * '' The Peach Tree'', a Korean novel and film, portrays conjoined twin brothers falling in love with the same woman. * The 1999 movie '' Twin Falls Idaho'' portrays conjoined twin brothers who are played by two non-conjoined identical twin brothers, one of whom directed the film, and both of whom co-wrote the screenplay. * In the fourth season of the American television series ''
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'' titled '' American Horror Story: Freak Show'', the main character Bette and Dot Tattler (
Sarah Paulson Sarah Catharine Paulson (born December 17, 1974) is an American actress. She began her acting career in New York City stage productions before starring in the short-lived television series ''American Gothic (1995 TV series), American Gothic'' ...
in a dual role) are a dicephalic parapagus twin where their two heads are side by side on one torso. This performance is done with the help of CGI. * In season two, episode eight of ''
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'', Michael and Pichael Thompson (voiced by
Justin Roiland Mark Justin Roiland (born February 21, 1980) is an American voice actor, animator, writer, producer, and director. He is best known as the co-creator of Adult Swim's ''Rick and Morty'' and its subsequent franchise. He voices the show's titular ...
) are depicted as conjoined twins hosting separate TV shows at the same time. * In the Cirque Du Soleil show '' Kurios: Cabinetes des Curiosities'', a pair of conjoined twins are among the Seeker's collection. They later split during an aerial straps duo and reunite for the rest of the show. * The bilingual film ''
Chaarulatha ''Chaarulatha'' (also spelled as ''Charulatha'') is a 2012 Indian horror film made in Kannada and Tamil. The film was directed by Pon Kumaran, a former associate to K. Bhagyaraj and K. S. Ravikumar, and features Priyamani in the lead role. The ...
'' stars Priyamani as a conjoined twin. * In the ''
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''-distributed movie ''
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'', starring
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and
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, Basheer Alexander is shown with two heads. * On the television series ''
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'', the characters Frank and Len are conjoined twins who comprise a rock group called RIP. * In the film ''
Monsters University ''Monsters University'' is a 2013 American computer-animated monster comedy film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It was directed by Dan Scanlon (in his feature directorial debut) and produced by Kori ...
'', two of the members of the fictitious fraternity Oozma Kappa are named Terri and Terry Perry (voiced by Sean Hayes and Dave Foley). They are dicephalic parapagus twins where they have four arms and share the same tentacles that are in place of their legs. * In the children's cartoon ''
Steven Universe ''Steven Universe'' is an American animated television series created by Rebecca Sugar for Cartoon Network. It tells the coming-of-age story of a young boy, Steven Universe ( Zach Callison), who lives with the Crystal Gems—magical, mineral ...
'', the Rutile twins are conjoined. * Fire and Water are conjoined twins in Chris Abani's 2014 novel ''
The Secret History of Las Vegas The Secret History of Las Vegas is a 2014 crime novel written by Nigerian-American writer Chris Abani. and published by Penguin Books on 7 January 2014 which later went on to win the Edgar Award for Best Paperback Original in 2015. References ...
''. * ''
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'' portrays conjoined twins Zoya and Nika, who share a liver. They are successfully separated by the doctors. *
Brian Aldiss Brian Wilson Aldiss (; 18 August 1925 – 19 August 2017) was an English writer, artist, and anthology editor, best known for science fiction novels and short stories. His byline reads either Brian W. Aldiss or simply Brian Aldiss, except for o ...
's 1977 novel ''Brothers of the Head'' depicts conjoined twins who become rock stars. In the 2005 film version, they are played by non-conjoined identical twins Harry Treadaway and
Luke Treadaway Luke Antony Newman Treadaway''Births, Marriages & Deaths Index of England & Wales, 1916-2005.''; at ancestry.com (born 10 September 1984) is a British actor and singer. He won an Olivier Award for Best Leading Actor for his performance as Chris ...
. * The 2006 remake of ''
The Hills Have Eyes ''The Hills Have Eyes'' is an American horror franchise that consists of four horror films, as well as a graphic novel and merchandise. The first film was released in 1977, '' The Hills Have Eyes''; the series was rebooted in a 2006 remake. T ...
'' briefly shows a photo of a set of twins, who have Cephalothoracopagus/Janiceps. This particular case, was caused by
Agent Orange Agent Orange is a chemical herbicide and defoliant, one of the "tactical use" Rainbow Herbicides. It was used by the U.S. military as part of its herbicidal warfare program, Operation Ranch Hand, during the Vietnam War from 1961 to 1971. It ...
. *Admirals Watson and Crick are presumably conjoined twins joined at the torso in the 2015 children's show '' Miles from Tomorrowland''. * In the
Ultimate Marvel Ultimate Marvel, later known as Ultimate Comics, was an imprint of comic books published by Marvel Comics, featuring re-imagined and modernized versions of the company's superhero characters from the Ultimate Marvel Universe. Those characters ...
reality of
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Comics'' in ...
, Syndicate is two conjoined twins in ''
Ultimate X-Men ''Ultimate X-Men'' is a superhero comic book series, which was published by Marvel Comics, from 2001 to 2009. The series is a modernized re-imagining of Marvel's long-running X-Men comic book franchise as part of the Ultimate Marvel imprint. The U ...
''. They were created by Brian K. Vaughn and Steve Dillon, and first appeared in ''Ultimate X-Men'' #58. They were killed during the crossover event '' Ultimatum''. * In the horror video game '' Dead by Daylight'', the playable characters "The Twins" are a brother and sister who are conjoined twins. However, the brother is able to detach from the sister.


See also

*
Medical law Medical law is the branch of law which concerns the prerogatives and responsibilities of medical professionals and the rights of the patient. It should not be confused with medical jurisprudence, which is a branch of medicine, rather than a br ...
* Monoamniotic twins *
Polycephaly Polycephaly is the condition of having more than one head. The term is derived from the Greek stems ''poly'' (Greek: "πολύ") meaning "many" and ''kephalē'' (Greek: "κεφαλή") meaning "head". A polycephalic organism may be thought o ...


Notes


References


External links


Types and social history of conjoined twins

The site of the medical Saudi team responsible for numerous successful separation surgeries


* ttp://www.thehumanmarvels.com/ The Human Marvels: A Historical Reference Site run by J. Tithonus Pednaud, Teratological Historian
Cases of conjoined and incomplete twins

Clara and Alta Rodriguez
joined at the pelvis and successfully separated in 1974 at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia by surgeons including C. Everett Koop
National Library of Medicine: Selected Moments in the History of Conjoined Twins

Conjoined Twins Fast Facts
(also lists additional twins)

(this article includes post-mortem images)


The St. Benoit Twins
, ''
Scientific American ''Scientific American'', informally abbreviated ''SciAm'' or sometimes ''SA'', is an American popular science magazine. Many famous scientists, including Albert Einstein and Nikola Tesla, have contributed articles to it. In print since 1845, it ...
'', July 13, 1878, p. 24 {{DEFAULTSORT:Conjoined Twins Rare diseases