What is urachal ligament?

This ligament runs from the belly button to the top of the bladder and is called the median umbilical ligament. Sometimes, there are tissue remnants of the urachus in adults (about 1/3 of adults have urachal tissue remnants).

What does the urachus become?

Embryology of Abdomen The urogenital sinus evolves into the bladder and urethra. In both male and female fetuses, the allantois has degenerated into the urachus, which usually obliterates in postnatal life to become the median umbilical ligament.

What does urachus mean?

Listen to pronunciation. (YOO-rah-kus) A fibrous cord that connects the urinary bladder to the umbilicus (navel). The urachus is formed as the allantoic stalk during fetal development and lasts through life.

Can a urachal cyst go away on its own?

In some cases, the urachal abnormalities resolve on their own without treatment. Because there is a small risk that a urachal cyst may become cancerous, surgery may be performed to completely remove the urachus.

How do you get rid of an urachal cyst?

The treatment of urachal cysts involves primary excision of the cyst. However, the traditional treatment of an infected urachal cyst is composed of a two-stage approach, i.e., an incision and then drainage of the infected cyst followed by secondary excision.

Does a Urachal cyst need to be removed?

In most cases, urachal cysts are not associated with any signs or symptoms unless there are complications such as infection. There are instances where urachal abnormalities resolve on their own. Because there is a small risk of urachal cancer , the entire urachus may be surgically removed.

Do Urachal remnants need to be removed?

In many cases, the medical team may recommend surgery to remove the remnant because of the possibility of complications and because it is associated with a rare, but aggressive form of cancer. In most cases the anomaly can be removed and recovery is uneventful.

When does the urachus become the median umbilical ligament?

During normal gesta- tional development, the urachus involutes and its lumen is obliter- ated, becoming the median umbilical ligament (1). Congenital urachal anomalies result from a failure of the devel-

What is the significance of the ligament of Treitz?

The ligament of Treitz is a landmark for the radiological diagnosis of intestinal malrotation and partial rotation for discriminating between upper and lower gastrointestinal bleeding

What are the different types of urachal abnormalities?

Urachal Abnormalities 1 The urachus is a remnant of a channel between the bladder and the umbilicus… 2 Patent urachus. This occurs when the urachus did not seal off and there is a connection between… 3 Urachal sinus. This occurs when the urachus did not seal close to…

When does urachal tissue regress in an adult?

Urachal remnants are present in almost 100% of infants at birth and regress due to fibrosis with age, eventually becoming the median umbilical ligament. Two-thirds of adolescents and one-third of 35-year-old adults show remnant urachal tissue, but it is seen in only 3% of the general population at autopsy ( 13 – 16 ).