Craniofacial defects associated with amniotic band syndrome: a case report.

A pathological study was made of a female infant with amniotic band syndrome. At birth, the 1450-g female infant was noted to have craniofacial defects such as anencephaly, cleft lip, severe nasal deformity and asymmetric microphthalmia. The fetal membrane was focally adhered to the scalp, and histological examinations revealed that the connecting area of the fetal head to the membrane resembled a serial architecture from keratinized squamous cells to amniotic layer without any inflammatory findings. These observations suggested that the etiology in the present case may be consistent with Torpin's mesodermic band theory.