Yonsei Med J.  2006 Dec;47(6):782-786. 10.3349/ymj.2006.47.6.782.

Urachal Anomalies in Children: A Single Center Experience

• Choi YJ
• Kim JM
• Ahn SY
• Oh JT
• Han SW
• Lee JS

• KMID: 1777165
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3349/ymj.2006.47.6.782

Abstract

The objective of this study is to define optimal diagnosis and treatment strategies for patients with urachal anomalies in the pediatric age group. The medical records of 21 children who had undergone surgery for urachal anomalies at Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine from January 1990 to April 2005 were reviewed. The subjects included 14 males and 7 females (M:F 2:1). The four types of urachal anomalies confirmed were a urachal cyst in 10 patients (47.6%), a patent urachus in 6 (28.6%), a urachal sinus in 4 (19.0%) and a urachal diverticulum in 1 (4.8%) patient. The most common presenting complaint was umbilical discharge (n = 10, 40.0%), followed by abdominal mass (n = 9, 36.0%). Urachal anomalies were diagnosed by ultrasonography in 18 patients, and 7 of them were additionally examined by computed tomography. The remaining patients were diagnosed solely by surgical exploration. Excision was performed in all patients and was supplemented by partial cystectomy in three. Umbilical discharge was the most common clinical manifestation in our patients, suggesting that ultrasonography should be performed in patients with umbilical discharge to differentiate urachal anomalies. We found the most common anomaly to be the urachal cyst, and all patients were successfully treated by surgical excision.

Keyword

Urachal anomaly; children; ultrasonography; surgical excision

MeSH Terms

Urachus/*abnormalities/surgery
Urachal Cyst/*diagnosis/surgery
Male
Infant, Newborn
Infant
Humans
Hospitals, University
Female
Child, Preschool
Child
Abnormalities/diagnosis/surgery

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