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Living with Diprosopus

A rare developmental condition before birth in which parts of the face are duplicated on a single head.

Understanding Diprosopus

Diprosopus is a rare developmental condition before birth, a subtype of conjoined twins, with partial or complete duplication of the face on a single head, neck, trunk, and body.

It may be linked with differences in the heart, digestive tract, lungs, and central nervous system. Cleft lip and palate have been reported in rare cases. GARD lists onset during pregnancy.

Signs & symptoms

Symptoms vary from person to person. GARD lists these among the most common:

  • Duplicated facial structures
  • Differences in the eyes and vision
  • Differences in the nose
  • Differences in the ears
  • Heart septum differences
  • Differences of the brain (such as anencephaly)

Not everyone has every symptom. GARD's list comes from the Human Phenotype Ontology.

Diagnosis

  1. Talk with your doctor

    Share the symptoms you've noticed, when they started and your family health history. Notes and photos can help.

  2. See a specialist

    Specialists who may be involved include maternal-fetal medicine specialists and women’s reproductive health specialists.

  3. Ask which tests can help

    Your care team will decide which exams and tests can confirm the diagnosis.

  4. Connect with expert centers

    Fetal Health Foundation may keep lists of experts for this condition.

Care & treatment

Care team
Maternal-fetal medicine specialists (pregnancy-related); Women’s reproductive health specialists (obstetricians / gynecologists)
Expert care
Expert lists: Fetal Health Foundation
Treatment
GARD doesn't list specific treatments for this condition. Your care team will tailor care to your symptoms.
Research
Clinical trials and observational studies may be options. See the research section below.

General information, not medical advice. Your care team makes the decisions.

Everyday life

Living with a rare condition is easier with support.

  • Connect with Fetal Health Foundation
  • Keep notes on symptoms, changes and questions for appointments
  • Ask about patient registries that help research
  • Look into financial aid and travel resources for care visits
Bring these questions to your next doctor visit
Which tests, such as imaging, show which organs are affected?
Which specialists should be involved?
Can genetic counseling help us?

Quick facts

Symptoms usually startduring Pregnancy

GARD says it arises as a developmental defect during embryo formation. It doesn't describe a specific cause.

Also known as: craniofacial duplication; diprosopia; monocephalus diprosopus

Patient organizations

Source: NIH GARD · DiprosopusGARD ID 1876 · GARD page updated September 2026 · Plain-language summary by Know Rare; editorial review pending. General information, not medical advice.

You are more than your diagnosis

Perspectives from people navigating life with Diprosopus.

Explore the Diprosopus blog

Explore research for Diprosopus

Explore actively recruiting Diprosopus studies with HealthSpark.

HealthSpark

Find actively recruiting studies for Diprosopus with HealthSpark. Share your city to explore research near you.

  • Recruiting studies from ClinicalTrials.gov
  • Share your city to look for research near you
  • Eligibility is confirmed by the study team

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Powered by HealthSpark, our AI chat helper · Study information from ClinicalTrials.gov · Eligibility is confirmed by the study team.

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