ACARDIA Meaning and
Definition
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Acardia is a medical term used to describe a congenital condition characterized by the absence or underdevelopment of the heart. This rare condition occurs during fetal development and is typically associated with a twin pregnancy. In acardia, one twin lacks a heart, while the other twin exhibits a normal heart development.
The absence of a functional heart in one twin leads to significant complications and challenges for both fetuses. The functioning twin's heart has to compensate for the absence of the heart in the acardiac twin, which places an increased workload on the normal heart and can potentially lead to heart failure.
Acardia is further characterized by abnormal blood vessel connections between the two twins. The twin without a heart, known as the acardiac twin, receives its shared blood supply from the normal twin through these abnormal blood vessels. This shared blood flow is often imbalanced, causing the acardiac twin to grow disproportionately larger than the normal twin.
Unfortunately, acardia is not compatible with life, and the acardiac twin is unable to survive. In some cases, the acardiac twin may undergo severe developmental abnormalities such as the absence of limbs or other external structures due to the disrupted blood supply.
Due to its rarity and complex nature, acardia often requires medical intervention and close monitoring during pregnancy. Treatment options may include fetal surgery or interventions to interrupt the blood supply between the twins to alleviate the strain on the normal twin's heart and improve the overall outcomes of the pregnancy.
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Absence of the heart, a condition present in certain parasitic monsters.
A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.
Common Misspellings for ACARDIA
Etymology of ACARDIA
The word acardia is derived from the Greek words a- meaning without or not, and kardia meaning heart. Therefore, acardia literally means without a heart.
Similar spelling words for ACARDIA
- accord,
- acridity,
- acerate,
- acaridae,
- accrued,
- according,
- acritical,
- accardo,
- ACORD,
- acrididae,
- accordance,
- acridness,
- acrid,
- acarid,
- accordion,
- accardi,
- acrodont,
- accredit,
- accordant,
- accroides,
- acridid.
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