A Bovine Acardiac (Acardius Acormus Incompletus) Triplet Monster

Abstract

A 7-year-old Holstein cow, which had previously given birth to 3 normal calves, delivered a full-term normal female calf (25 kg) and a dead edematous female one (20kg). Soon after, that a fetal monster (1.8kg) was extruded. It was a spherical mass covered with black short hair and attached to the dense folded fetal membrane at the bottom. The following rudimentary structures were observed in the mass: an ear, a lip, plicae paratinae transversae, several molares, two incisors, large and small papillae conicae, a compressed ruminant stomach, a mass of adipose tissue, an umblical cord-like strand, and a fluid-filled cephalocele-like cavity. This case was regarded as one of acardius acormus incompletus.