Proboscis

Last revised by Mostafa Elfeky on 21 Jan 2022

Proboscis is a rare congenital anomaly where an anterior appendage-like structure is seen projecting from the midline fetal face/forehead. Depending on the exact location, this has further been classified into various subtypes (e.g. interorbital proboscis).

The presence of a proboscis can be associated with several anomalies which include:

A proboscis is best seen on a longitudinal facial profile view as a snout-like protrusion from the face/forehead.

'Proboscis' is derived from the Ancient Greek προβοσκις (proboskis), itself derived from the words πρό (pro) meaning: "forth/forward/before" and βόσκω (bosko) meaning: "to feed".

ADVERTISEMENT: Supporters see fewer/no ads

Updating… Please wait.

 Unable to process the form. Check for errors and try again.

 Thank you for updating your details.