Thoracoabdominal wall defect

What it means

Failure of the chest and abdominal wall to close, which is likely caused by the failure of the ventral wall to close during week 4 of development.

Thoracoschisis is a very rare congenital anomaly defined by the herniation of intra-abdominal organs through a defect in the thoracic wall. It be accompanied by thoracic ectopia cordis and gastroschisis.

Rare diseases that can present with this2

The range is how often this sign appears among people diagnosed with each disease — it is not a probability of having any of them. Many of these signs also occur in common, non-rare conditions. A sign on this page is a conversation to have with a clinician, not a conclusion.

Part of the broader category

Also called: Thoracoabdominal schisis