Search Results (5)

Abnormalities of the urachus detected in infancy and early childhood are often interpreted as persistent congenital abnormalities requiring surgical correction. However, growing clinical experience suggests that a proportion of these findings may reflect ontogenetic immaturity of the urachus rather than fixed pathological conditions. As a transient embryological structure, the urachus undergoes postnatal remodeling and involution, which may explain the spontaneous regression of urachal anomalies observed during follow-up. This paper proposes ontogenetic immaturity of the urachus as a biological substrate for the natural resolution of selected urachal changes, including cystic dilatation and incomplete obliteration. We discuss the developmental background of urachal maturation and emphasize the importance of distinguishing delayed involution from true structural pathology. The clinical implications of this concept are highlighted, with particular focus on the role of careful observation and longitudinal monitoring as an alternative to early surgical intervention in asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic patients. Recognizing ontogenetic immaturity as a reversible developmental state may help reduce overtreatment and support more individualized, developmentally informed management strategies. Integrating principles of developmental biology into clinical decision-making reinforces the value of conservative approaches in selected urachal conditions and under-scores the broader relevance of ontogeny in kidney and urinary tract disease. Full article

Congenital umbilicobiliary fistula is a rare disease reported in humans and dogs. A 2-month-old, intact, male French Bulldog presented with a greenish-yellow discharge dripping from the umbilicus since birth. Complete blood count and serum biochemistry were within normal limits, but serum alkaline phosphatase activity was mildly elevated. A positive contrast cystogram was performed to rule out a patent urachus and confirmed the presence of a vesicourachal diverticula, a type of urachal anomalies. An abdominal ultrasound and computed tomography fistulogram demonstrated a communication between the umbilicus and common bile duct, which suggested an umbilicobiliary fistula. Surgical correction of the umbilicobiliary fistula and vesicourachal diverticula was successfully performed with an uneventful recovery. Histological analysis of the fistulous tract demonstrated a cuboidal/columnar lining epithelium that transitioned to squamous epithelium near the umbilicus. Agenesis of the gallbladder was noted. The application of multiple imaging techniques in the diagnosis and surgical correction of these congenital abnormalities (umbilicobiliary fistula, gallbladder agenesis, and vesicourachal diverticula) was beneficial for treatment planning and outcome. Full article

The urachus is an embryologic remnant of the cloaca that usually degenerates after birth, resulting from the obliteration of the allantois, whose role is to connect the bladder to the umbilicus. Incomplete removal of the lumen may give rise to different malformations of the median umbilical ligament after birth. Although in the pediatric population urachus are common, most cases are asymptomatic and may go unrecognized until adulthood and give rise to cysts, rarely reported in the literature. Thus, in this manuscript we present the circumstances of a 43-year-old Romanian woman showing hypogastric pain of moderate intensity for three weeks, radiation in the left lower limb, menstrual cycle abnormalities, and dysmenorrhea. Based on the initial examinations, a paraovarian cyst measuring 80 mm was noted. Through the subsequent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) conducted, a hypoechoic mass was detected, and the patient underwent a tumorectomy and partial cystectomy. A 9.7/7.5-cm tumor was excised, and the anatomopathological result was urachal mucinous cystadenoma. It came to our attention that relatively scarce data were found in the literature, with only seven studies with the diagnosis of the urachal cyst. Full article

Urachal cancer is very rare, accounting for only 0.5–2% of bladder-associated malignancies and 0.01% of all cancers in adults. It has an insidious appearance, an aggressive behavior and a poor prognosis. The most common symptoms are hematuria and the presence of a palpable hypogastric mass. The scarcity of cases and the low number of studies carried out explains the lack of an evidence-based management strategy, but it seems that surgical treatment (open, laparoscopy or robot-assisted) represents the gold standard, while neoadjuvant and adjuvant chemotherapy or radiotherapy has a limited impact on overall survival. Since mucinous cystadenocarcinoma of urachal origin is a very uncommon pathological condition the differential diagnosis may be difficult and pathological investigations have to elucidate this disorder. It is worth mentioning the psychological impact on the patient in addition to the medical aspects. A rare condition is associated with heightened risk for mental health and psychosocial difficulties and this must be taken into account in the subsequent follow-up of the patient. In order to increase awareness of this rare entity we report a case of a 40-year-old male with a urachal adenocarcinoma who was treated surgically, with a favorable outcome. We also perform a brief literature review about this type of tumor. Full article

This retrospective study investigated the prevalence of different urachal anomalies (UA) in cats (n = 60) and dogs (n = 38) and their association with clinical symptoms and urinalysis alterations. Among UA, the vesicourachal diverticulum was the most prevalent UA diagnosed in both cats (96.7%) and dogs (89.5%): the intramural vesicourachal diverticulum was diagnosed in 76.7% of cats and 71.1% of dogs, followed by extramural vesicourachal diverticulum (20.0% and 18.4% respectively). In both cats and dogs, bladder wall diffuse or regional thickening was the most prevalent alteration. The most common alterations of the urinary bladder content were urolithiasis sediment in cats (33.3%) and in dogs (31.6%). Dogs with UA were more often asymptomatic (p = 0.01). No difference was found in cats. Stranguria, hematuria, and urethral obstruction were the most frequently reported clinical signs, while hematuria and leukocyturia were the most prevalent abnormalities at urinalysis. In conclusion, our study confirmed UA as uncommon, and often incidental findings, with a high prevalence of animals without clinical signs. Full article