Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
Citation:
Weerakkody Y, Campos A, Yap J, et al. Umbilical cord cyst. Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 18 Feb 2025) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-13201
Umbilical cord cysts can refer to any cystic lesion associated with the umbilical cord. They can be single (more common) or multiple.
They may be seen in ~3% of pregnancies in the first trimester 8.
Associations
There are associations (especially when there are additional sonographic abnormalities and if there is persistence in the 2nd or 3rd trimester) with certain chromosomal/structural anomalies (reported in up to 20% in one study 8).
Associations include aneuploidic conditions such as:
Umbilical cord cysts can represent either true or false cysts:
Ultrasound
They tend to be eccentric in relation to the umbilical cord 7. It can be almost impossible to differentiate a true cyst from a pseudocyst on sonographic grounds. The cyst sizes can be variable ranging from a few millimeters up to 5 cm 11.
Treatment and prognosis
Most advocate a detailed sonographic assessment to be performed if an umbilical cord cyst is seen. A transient cyst that resolves on subsequent imaging is considered to carry an excellent prognosis.
Concerning factors include:
On ultrasound, consider:
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1. Sepulveda W, Leible S, Ulloa A, Ivankovic M, Schnapp C. Clinical Significance of First Trimester Umbilical Cord Cysts. J Ultrasound Med. 1999;18(2):95-9. doi:10.7863/jum.1999.18.2.95 - Pubmed
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2. Yonemoto H, Itoh S, Nakamura Y et-al. Umbilical cord cyst detected in the first trimester by two- and three-dimensional sonography. J Clin Ultrasound. 34 (3): 150-2. doi:10.1002/jcu.20199 - Pubmed citation
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3. Smith GN, Walker M, Johnston S et-al. The sonographic finding of persistent umbilical cord cystic masses is associated with lethal aneuploidy and/or congenital anomalies. Prenat. Diagn. 1996;16 (12): 1141-7. doi:10.1002/(SICI)1097-0223(199612)16:12<1141::AID-PD2>3.0.CO;2-4 - Pubmed citation
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4. Sepulveda W, Gutierrez J, Sanchez J et-al. Pseudocyst of the umbilical cord: prenatal sonographic appearance and clinical significance. Obstet Gynecol. 1999;93 (3): 377-81. - Pubmed citation
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5. Ramirez P, Haberman S, Baxi L. Significance of prenatal diagnosis of umbilical cord cyst in a fetus with trisomy 18. Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol. 1995;173 (3 Pt 1): 955-7. Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol. (link) - Pubmed citation
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6. Zangen R, Boldes R, Yaffe H et-al. Umbilical cord cysts in the second and third trimesters: significance and prenatal approach. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol. 2010;36 (3): 296-301. doi:10.1002/uog.7576 - Pubmed citation
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7. Skibo LK, Lyons EA, Levi CS. First-trimester umbilical cord cysts. Radiology. 1992;182 (3): 719-22. Radiology (abstract) - Pubmed citation
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8. Ross J, Jurkovic D, Zosmer N, Jauniaux E, Hacket E, Nicolaides K. Umbilical Cord Cysts in Early Pregnancy. Obstet Gynecol. 1997;89(3):442-5. doi:10.1016/S0029-7844(96)00526-1 - Pubmed
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9. Amano Y, Hayashi T, Takahama K et-al. MR imaging of umbilical cord urachal (allantoic) cyst in utero. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2003;180 (4): 1181-2. AJR Am J Roentgenol (full text) - Pubmed citation
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10. Ghezzi F, Raio L, Di Naro E, Franchi M, Cromi A, Dürig P. Single and Multiple Umbilical Cord Cysts in Early Gestation: Two Different Entities. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol. 2003;21(3):215-9. doi:10.1002/uog.68 - Pubmed
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11. Michael Entezami. Ultrasound Diagnosis of Fetal Anomalies. (2004) ISBN: 9781588902122 - Google Books
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