CASE REPORT   

Journal of Radiological Review 2020 March-April;7(2):153-6

DOI: 10.23736/S2723-9284.20.00004-2

Copyright © 2020 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English, Italian

Urgent approach in a mass-like urachal abscess

Donatella VIVACQUA ¹, Giulia LASSANDRO ², Stefano G. PICCHI ² ✉, Laura GRECO ¹, Filomena CARFAGNINI ¹, Michelangelo BALDAZZI ¹, Francesco MONTEDURO ³

¹ Unit of Pediatric Radiology, Ospedale Sant’Orsola-Malpighi, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy; ² Department of Advanced Biomedical Sciences, Federico II University, Naples, Italy; ³ Department of Radiology, Ospedale Sant’Orsola-Malpighi, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy

The urachus is an embryologic remnant that connects the urinary bladder to the allantois in early embryonic development. It normally obliterates during late fetal life, forming a vestigial structure called the median umbilical ligament. The missed or delayed urachal obliteration can lead in four embryologic malformations: patent urachus, urachal sinus, vesicourachal diverticulum or urachal cyst. In case of severe infection, urachal cysts may result in urachal abscesses. Herein we present a case of a mass-like urachal abscess in a 6-months-old female infant surgically removed in emergency conditions.

KEY WORDS: Humans; Infant; Acute disease; Urachus