Omphalocele With Foetal Distress At Term; The Utility Of Gray Scale and Doppler Ultrasound Scans In Its Management

One of the anterior abdominal wall defects is an Omphalocele and it is thought to result from an abnormality of folding during development. The incidence of Omphalocele is 1 in 4000 to 5000 live births. It is characterized by a defect at the umbilicus through which bowel and other Intra-abdominal viscera herniate and are covered by a thin membrane consisting of amnion, Wharton’s jelly and peritoneum. The cause of Omphalocele is not yet known; there are theories that have been put forward, such as the failure of the bowel to return into the abdomen by 10-12 weeks, failure of the central migration of lateral mesodermal folds, and persistence of the body stalk beyond 12 weeks of gestation. Other foetal and congenital anomalies may also be associated with Omphalocele. Chromosomal abnormalities are seen in greater than 70% of cases. Omphalocele during the antenatal period may be detected either during routine ultrasonographic examination or while investigating the cause of an increased alpha-fetoprotein. The index case was discovered incidentally during routine obstetrics scan and the case report is therefore aimed at re-echoing the utilities of this modality in its management.

Author(s): Benjamin Howe Nongo

Abstract | Full-Text | PDF

Share This Article