The omphalomesenteric (or vitellointestinal) duct is an embryonic communication between the primitive yolk sac and the developing midgut. During normal development at the 6th week of embryogenesis, the midgut loop elongates and herniates into the umbilical cord. Within the ‘physiological umbilical hernia’, the midgut rotates 90° counter clockwise around the axis of the superior mesenteric artery. At the same time, as the midgut elongates the lumen of the omphalomesenteric duct begins a process of obliteration. By the 10th week of early fetal development, the midgut returns to the abdominal cavity and the omphalomesenteric duct becomes a thin fi brous band, which undergoes resorption. Persistence of the duct leads to a spectrum of anomalies that can present clinically in the newborn period, infancy or later childhood years.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Similar content being viewed by others
Further Reading
Cullen JJ (1994) Surgical management of Meckel ' s diverticula. An epidemiologic, population-based study. Ann Surg 220:564 – 568
Fa-Si-Oen PR, Roumen RM, Croiset van Uchelen FA (1999) Complications and management of Meckel ' s diverticulum: A review. Eur J Surg 165:674 – 678
Lloyd D (2006) Omphalomesenteric duct remnants. In P Puri, ME Höllwarth (eds) Pediatric Surgery, Springer Surgery Atlas Series. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, New York, pp 327 – 332
Moore TC (1996) Omphalomesenteric duct malformations. Semin Pediatr Surg 5:116 – 123
Onen A, Cigdem MK, Ozturk H, Otcu S, Dokucu AI (2003) When to resect and when not to resect an asymptomatic Meckel ' s diverticulum? An ongoing challenge. Pediatr Surg Int 19:57–61
Park JJ, Wolff BG, Tollefson MK, Walsh EE, Larson DR (2005) Meckel ' s diverticulum: The Mayo Clinic experience with 1476 patients (1950–2002). Ann Surg 241(3):529–533
Soltero MJ, Bill AH (1976) The natural history of Meckel ' s diverticulum and its relation to incidental removal. A study of 202 cases of diseased Meckel ' s diverticulum found in King County, Washington, over a fi fteen year period. Am J Surg 132:168–173
Zani A, Eaton S, Rees CM, Pierro A (2008) Meckel ' s diverticu-lum incidentally found: To resect or not to resect? Ann Surg 247(2):276–281
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2009 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Mullassery, D., Losty, P.D. (2009). Omphalomesenteric Duct Remnants. In: Puri, P., Höllwarth, M. (eds) Pediatric Surgery. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-69560-8_50
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-69560-8_50
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-540-69559-2
Online ISBN: 978-3-540-69560-8
eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)