Vitelline duct pathologies in neonates

Umbilical Appendix Masquerading as a Patent Omphalomesenteric Duct in a Neonate

The umbilicus is the site of a number of well-recognized and unusual abnormalities. Well-known neonatal umbilical abnormalities include umbilical hernias, granulomas/polyps, and congenital remnants of development. In this article, we describe a rare case of an appendix draining through the umbilicus of a neonate. In the literature, there are only 15 cases with possible umbilical appendix. We describe this rare case along with a review of the literature and discuss the underlying pathophysiology.

Spectrum of Omphalomesenteric Duct Related Anomalies and Their Surgical Management in Children

Objective

The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical presentation and surgical management of omphalomesenteric duct (OMD) remnants in children.

 Material and methods

A descriptive retrospective study was conducted at the Department of Paediatric Surgery of the National Institute of Child Health, Karachi, Pakistan, from April 2017 to January 2020. Children below 12 years of age with various OMD remnants were included in the study. Data regarding age of presentation, type of anomaly, and management collected during this period were reviewed and analyzed using SPSS Version 22 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA).

Results

A total of 86 patients, 47 males and 39 females, were managed during the study period. Intestinal obstruction was observed in 44 (51.16%) cases followed by OMD-related umbilical anomalies in 14 (16.27%) cases, acute abdominal pain in 12 (13.95%), rectal bleeding in 3 (3.48%) patients. In 13 (15.16%) cases, Meckel’s diverticulum was discovered incidentally. In 21 cases, wedge resection and ileal repair was performed, whereas 32 required segmental resection and end-to-end anastomosis, and in 32 cases ileostomy was created after resection. Histopathology showed the presence of ectopic mucosa in five cases.

Conclusion

Patients with OMD remnants had various presentations. The surgical procedure has to be tailored according to the clinical and surgical findings.