Veterinary Clinical Medicine-I (General and Systemic)

OMPHALOPHLEBITIS

• This is an inflammation of umbilical structures that may include the umbilical arteries, vein, urachus and tissues immediately surrounding the umbilicus.
• The umbilicus consists of three structures and undergoes functional and anatomic changes at birth. Two umbilical arteries connect internal iliac arteries to the placenta and these regress to become the round ligaments of the bladder.
• The umbilical vein connects the placenta to the liver and porta cava and then regresses to become the round ligament of the liver within the falciform ligament. The urachus connects the fetal bladder to the allantoic cavity.
• Abscesses or infection of any of the three components may produce local infection or be a source of septicemia. The infection is most commonly external environmental organisms coupled with failure of passive transfer.
• When the umbilicus is enlarged and draining purulent material diagnosis is easy. However, with fever of unknown origin in neonates less than 20 days of age the umbilicus should be scanned with ultrasound.
• The umbilical arteries leave the umbilical stalk and course on the outer edges of the urachus in a parallel fashion. The urachus connects the apex of the bladder with the umbilicus and is located along the midline immediately adjacent to the body wall.
• Persistent dilation of the umbilical vein or arteries with a hypoechoic to ecogenic fluid is observed with infection.