Diagnosis of urachal anomalies in infancy and childhood by contrast fistulography, ultrasound and CT

Umbilical cord anomalies: antenatal ultrasound findings and postnatal correlation

Umbilical cord anomalies are rare. The differential diagnosis for a cystic structure around the umbilical cord and its insertion include pseudocyst, omphalomesenteric duct cyst, haemangioma, omphalocele or anterior abdominal wall defects. Although cord anomalies can be detected through antenatal ultrasound scans (US), very often a definitive diagnosis cannot be made. This may affect the management of the infant at birth. In cases where antenatal US was not diagnostic, current evidence supports the use of MRI to help in making an accurate diagnosis. We report two cases of umbilical cord anomalies. The first case was diagnosed in antenatal US as an omphalocele, but was found to be an allantoic cyst with hamartoma on postnatal diagnosis. The second case was not detected on antenatal US, and was diagnosed postnatally as a small omphalocele with vitellointestinal duct remnants.

Urachal carcinoma: from gross specimen to morphologic, immunohistochemical, and molecular analysis

Urachal carcinoma (UrC) is an exceedingly rare neoplasm that develops from the urachus, an embryologic remnant of the urogenital sinus and allantois. The most commonly encountered histologic subtype is adenocarcinoma. The aim of this study is to characterize a series of UrC by morphology, immunohistochemistry, and molecular analysis. We retrospectively investigated seven cases of UrCs and assessed patient symptoms, imaging, histologic features, immunohistochemical profile, molecular characteristics, pathologic stages, and type of treatment. Immunostaining for CK7, CK20, Muc-2, CDX2, GATA3, β-catenin, and CK34βE12 was carried out on each neoplasm and on seven non-neoplastic urachal remnants as the control group. Additionally, a mutational analysis was performed using the QIAact Actionable Insights Tumor Panel Kit, which analyzes KRAS, NRAS, KIT, BRAF, PDGFRA, ALK, EGFR, ERBB2, PIK3CA, ERBB3, ESR1, and RAF1. Our cohort comprised five females and two males with a mean age of 64 years. UrCs consisted of two mucinous cystadenocarcinomas and five invasive, non-cystic adenocarcinomas. Carcinoma antigen expression profile was positive for CK20 and negative for CK34βE12 and GATA3 in all cases. Five of seven cases stained positively for Muc-2 and CDX2. On the contrary, non-neoplastic urachal remnants were immunoreactive for CK34βE12, CK7, and GATA3. Mutational analysis gave a positive result in four out of seven (57.1%) cases. All four positive tumors showed RAS mutation and one an additional mutation in PIK3CA. Urachal tumors exhibit peculiar morphologic, immunohistochemical, and molecular features. Due to the advanced stage at presentation, individualized treatment should be undertaken.

Primary cystic peritoneal masses and mimickers: spectrum of diseases with pathologic correlation

Cystic lesions within the peritoneum have been classified classically according to their lining on histology into four categories-endothelial, epithelial, mesothelial, and others (germ cell tumors, sex cord gonadal stromal tumors, cystic mesenchymal tumors, fibrous wall tumors, and infectious cystic peritoneal lesions). In this article, we will proceed to classify cystic peritoneal lesions focusing on the degree of radiological complexity into three categories-simple cystic, mildly complex, and cystic with solid component lesions. Many intra-abdominal collections within the peritoneal cavity such as abscess, seroma, biloma, urinoma, or lymphocele may mimic primary peritoneal cystic masses and need to be differentiated. Clinical history and imaging features may help differentiate intra-abdominal collections from primary peritoneal masses. Lymphangiomas are benign multilocular cystic masses that can virtually occur in any location within the abdomen and insinuate between structures. Ultrasound may help differentiate enteric duplication cysts from other mesenteric and omental cysts in the abdomen. Double-layered wall along the mesenteric side of bowel may suggest its diagnosis in the proper clinical setting. Characteristic imaging features of hydatid cysts are internal daughter cysts, floating membranes and matrix, peripheral calcifications, and collagenous pericyst. Non-pancreatic psuedocysts usually have a fibrotic thick wall and chylous content may lead to a fat-fluid level. Pseudomyxoma peritonei appears as loculated fluid collections in the peritoneal cavity, omentum, and mesentery and may scallop visceral surfaces. Many of the primary cystic peritoneal masses have specific imaging features which can help in accurate diagnosis and management of these entities. Knowledge of the imaging spectrum of cystic peritoneal masses is necessary to distinguish from other potential cystic abdominal mimicker masses.

An unusual long-term survey of a patient with widespread malignant urachal tumor, not given chemotherapy or radiotherapy

The urachus establishes a connection between the dome of the bladder and the umbilicus throughout fetal life. If the urachus does not close completely, malignancy is a potential complication. The primary treatment for malignant urachal tumor is surgical excision. A 61-year-old male patient diagnosed with urachal carcinoma had undergone partial cystectomy 25 years previously. Twenty years later, local recurrence was treated with another partial cystectomy without umbilical remnant excision. Recurrence at the umbilical site was excised 2 years later, but intraperitoneal invasion had occurred, and the patient underwent a total colectomy at that time. Local disease and disseminated metastases in the thorax and intra- and extraperitoneal areas were noted upon admission to our hospital. Urachal carcinomas are usually aggressive tumors, and surgical treatment should include partial or radical cystectomy and excision of the urachus and umbilicus, to prevent local recurrence and distant metastasis.

Infected urachal cyst initially misdiagnosed as an incarcerated umbilical hernia

BACKGROUND

Urachal abnormalities are a rare cause of lower abdominal pain. They are often initially mistaken for more common causes of lower abdominal pain, and the diagnosis is usually made during evaluation for one of these more common conditions.

CASE REPORT

We report a case of a painful periumbilical mass ultimately diagnosed as an infected urachal cyst. Although the cyst was evident sonographically, it was misidentified as an umbilical hernia, and the correct diagnosis was not made until the patient underwent computed tomography of the abdomen and pelvis before surgery.

CONCLUSION

Emergency physicians should consider urachal disease in patients presenting with lower abdominal pain and should also be familiar with both the clinical and radiologic findings characteristic of this disease.

Nonoperative management of symptomatic urachal anomalies

INTRODUCTION

Symptomatic urachal anomalies are rare disorders that consist of urachal remnants or fistulas with or without an associated cyst. Traditionally, when a urachal anomaly was recognized, operative excision was performed. There has been a shift toward the nonoperative management of urachal anomalies at many centers, although there is little in the literature to support this practice.

METHODS

A retrospective chart review of patients with urachal anomalies was performed from January 2002 to March 2008. Children with a draining umbilicus and no radiographic or surgical confirmation of a urachal anomaly were excluded.

RESULTS

Fifteen patients with symptomatic urachal anomalies were identified. The average age was 3.5 years (4 weeks to 14 years). Symptoms included umbilical drainage (n = 10), abdominal pain (n = 6), omphalitis (n = 4), intraabdominal mass (n = 3), dysuria (n = 1), recurrent urinary tract infections (n = 1), and fever (n = 4). The diagnosis was confirmed by ultrasound (n = 13) and/or computed tomographic scan (n = 4). The surgically treated cases included 7 urachal cysts (5 uninfected, 2 infected) and 1 patent urachal fistula. Mean follow-up is 37 months, and there have been no reported recurrences. Those treated without surgical excision included 4 patent urachal fistulas (mean follow-up, 20 months-no recurrences) and 3 infected urachal cysts (percutaneous drainage [n = 2] and laparoscopic drainage [n = 1]-no recurrences on ultrasound at 26 months).

CONCLUSION

Nonoperative management of urachal anomalies is a reasonable approach and may be extended to infected urachal cysts after initial drainage. Infected cysts that are adequately drained seem to obliterate with time. Modern ultrasonography facilitates thorough follow-up. We propose a treatment algorithm for the management of suspected urachal anomalies.

[Urachal diseases]

Urachal diseases are infrequent. Congenital affections include cysts, fistula, diverticulum, external sinus, and alternating drainage sinus. Ultrasonography and fistulography are useful for the diagnosis. Treatment of malformations is rarely conservative; it consists in urachal resection. Urachal tumours are frequently malignant and adenocarcinomas are the main histological form. CT scanning is useful for staging. Treatment of urachal carcinomas consists in urachal, umbilicus and bladder removal. Prognosis is poor.

Treatment of infected urachal cysts

The urachus is a fibrous cord that arises from the anterior bladder wall and extends cranially to the umbilicus. Traditionally, infection has been treated using a two-stage procedure that includes an initial incision and drainage which is then followed by elective excision. More recently, it has been suggested that a single-stage excision with improved antibiotics is a safe option. Thus, we intended to compare the effects of the two-stage procedure and the single-stage excision. We performed a retrospective review on nine patients treated between May 1990 and September 2005. The methods used in diagnosis were ultrasonography, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and cystoscopy. The study group was comprised of three males and six females with a mean age of 28.2 years (with a range from three to 71 years). Symptoms consisted of abdominal pain, abdominal mass, fever, and dysuria. The primary incision and drainage followed by a urachal remnant excision with a bladder cuff excision (two-stage procedure) was performed in four patients. The mean postoperative hospitalization lasted 5.8 days (with a range of three to seven days), and there were no reported complications. A primary excision of the infected urachal cyst and bladder cuff (single-stage excision) was performed in the other five patients. These patients had a mean postoperative hospitalization time of 9.2 days (with a range of four to 15 days), and complications included an enterocutaneous fistula, which required additional operative treatment. The best method of treating an infected urachal cyst remains a matter of debate. However, based on our results, the two-stage procedure is associated with a shorter hospital stay and no complications. Thus, when infection is extensive and severe, we suggest that the two-stage procedure offers a more effective treatment option.

[Dermoid cyst of the urachus: a case report and review of the literature]

The urachus, a normal embryonic remnant of the primitive bladder dome, exists as a fibrous cord in adult. Urachal disorders are not exceptional, and are expression of incomplete regression. Diagnosis is generally ultrasonographic, rarely clinical. We report a case of urachal dermoid cyst revealed by abdominal pain and underline the diagnostic difficulties related to this unusual localization.

Acute presentation of infected urachal cysts: case report and review of diagnosis and therapeutic interventions

Urachal remnants, although relatively rare, masquerade as a large number of diverse disorders leading to a high rate of misdiagnosis. A typical case is reported in which a 10-year-old boy presented to the Emergency Department twice before being incorrectly diagnosed with a pelvic or lower abdominal periappendiceal abscess. Definitive diagnosis and treatment of an infected urachal cyst were made intraoperatively. A review and discussion of urachal remnants is presented, and a diagnostic algorithm and treatment plan is offered for this entity.

Urachal remnant diseases: spectrum of CT and US findings

Computed tomography (CT) and ultrasonography (US) are ideally suited for demonstrating urachal remnant diseases. A patent urachus is demonstrated at longitudinal US and occasionally at CT as a tubular connection between the anterosuperior aspect of the bladder and the umbilicus. An umbilical-urachal sinus manifests at US as a thickened tubular structure along the midline below the umbilicus. A vesicourachal diverticulum is usually discovered incidentally at axial CT, appearing as a midline cystic lesion just above the anterosuperior aspect of the bladder. At US, it manifests as an extraluminally protruding, fluid-filled sac that does not communicate with the umbilicus. Urachal cysts manifest at both modalities as a noncommunicating, fluid-filled cavity in the midline lower abdominal wall located just beneath the umbilicus or above the bladder. Both infected urachal cysts and urachal carcinomas commonly display increased echogenicity at US and thick-walled cystic or mixed attenuation at CT, making it difficult to differentiate between them. Percutaneous needle biopsy or fluid aspiration is usually needed for diagnosis and therapeutic planning. Nevertheless, CT and US can help identify most disease entities originating from the urachal remnant in the anterior abdominal wall. Understanding the anatomy and the imaging features of urachal remnant diseases is essential for correct diagnosis and proper management.

The infected urachal cyst: primary excision versus a staged approach

PURPOSE

We compared outcomes following single or 2-stage repair of infected urachal cysts in the pediatric population.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We reviewed the records of 17 patients 1 day to 14 years old (median age 22 months) with a urachal cyst. Immediate cyst excision was performed in 6 patients without infection, while those with an abscess underwent single or 2-stage repair.

RESULTS

Median postoperative hospital stay for the urachal abscess group was 14 and 11.5 days for single and 2-stage procedures, respectively. After immediate excision postoperative complications developed in each case, although none occurred with a 2-stage approach.

CONCLUSIONS

In the absence of infection, urachal cyst excision affords the most benign postoperative course. However, when infection is present, perioperative drainage with subsequent total excision, including a cuff of bladder, may offer the most effective surgical option.

Urachal remnants: sonographic assessment

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the frequency of the visualization of urachal remnants (UR) with ultrasound and to determine their sonographic patterns.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

Two hundred and fifty consecutive patients were referred for abdominal and/or pelvic ultrasonography, 83 who had urinary tract symptoms. Patient age ranged from 1 month to 91 years (mean = 35 years). Patients were classified into four groups: (1) < 16 years (n = 47) (2) 16-35 years (n = 100), (3) 36-55 years (n = 49), (4) > or = 56 years (n = 54). Ultrasonography was performed using 3.75 MHz and 7.5 MHz transducers. Ultrasound criterion for diagnosis was a midline mass located between the rectus abdominus muscle and the upper part of the anterior bladder wall.

RESULTS

UR were found in 90 cases (36%). UR demonstration was more frequent in groups 1 (61.7%) and 2 (49%) and 3 (20.4%) and 4 (3.7%). UR were nodular (87%) or tubular in structure (13%). Echogenicity was similar to or greater than adjacent muscle in 51% and less than in 49%. The length, width, and thickness mean and standard deviation values were 13.5 +/- 4.7 mm, 12.6 +/- 5 mm, and 5.2 +/- 1.5 mm, respectively. UR were observed in 50% of the asymptomatic patients of groups 1 and 2.

CONCLUSION

Urachal remnants are commonly demonstrated with ultrasound, particularly in young patients. They should be considered to be a normal variant unless there is an increase in size or they are accompanied by clinical signs, without other possible causes for symptoms.

The ultrasonic diagnosis of urachal anomalies

Seven cases of urachal anomalies are presented. The spectrum of the disorder and the criteria for ultrasound diagnosis are described. Six of seven cases were correctly diagnosed pre-operatively with diagnostic ultrasound, but one case with no cystic component was missed. The appearance of a fixed, midline, cystic, extraperitoneal swelling between the umbilicus and the bladder should suggest the diagnosis.

Ultrasound of the discharging umbilicus

Ultrasound of a patent urachus has been well described. However, ultrasound of the other congenital abnormalities affecting the umbilicus has not. Two cases are described, one of a vitelline (omphalomesenteric) duct and one of an umbilical granuloma, in which the ultrasound findings guided the child's management, preventing a minilaparotomy.

Management of urachal anomalies in children and adults

During a period of fifteen years, 9 children and 5 adults with a variety of urachal anomalies were treated. Infected urachal cysts were more common in children whereas adults more frequently had infected urachal sinuses. After careful physical examination, a preoperative diagnosis could be made in most patients, with ultrasound examination decisive in doubtful cases. Whenever feasible, complete excision of the umbilicovesical tract is performed, but in very ill patients, a staged treatment becomes necessary. The preoperative injection of methylene blue is helpful in the identification of communicating tracts, all of which should be removed. All affected children should undergo investigation for associated genitourinary anomalies.