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'Evil Twin' Embryo Removed From Woman's Brain

Doctors have discovered an embryonic twin complete with bone, hair and teeth in the brain of a woman having surgery for a suspected tumour.

Yamini Karanam, 26, sought medical help last September after she began to struggle with conversations and reading.

Doctors were initially unsure what was causing the Indiana University PhD student's health problems.

She had keyhole surgery deep into the brain which found a "teratoma" - the embryonic twin.

Ms Karanam jokingly told NBC Los Angeles it was her "evil twin sister who's been torturing me for the past 26 years".

Surgeons removed the teratoma and she is expected to make a full recovery.

Dr Hrayr Shahinian, at the Skullbase Institute in Los Angeles, told NBC it was only the second teratoma he had encountered out of up to 8,000 brain tumours he has removed.