Urachus
Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
Citation:
Bickle I, Hacking C, Bell D, et al. Urachus. Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 23 Mar 2025) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-24418
rID:
24418
Article created:
Disclosures:
At the time the article was created Ian Bickle had no recorded disclosures.
View Ian Bickle's current disclosures
Last revised:
Disclosures:
At the time the article was last revised Craig Hacking had the following disclosures:
- Philips Australia, Paid speaker at Philips Spectral CT events (ongoing)
These were assessed during peer review and were determined to not be relevant to the changes that were made.
View Craig Hacking's current disclosures
Revisions:
21 times, by
14 contributors -
see full revision history and disclosures
Systems:
Sections:
Synonyms:
- Median umbilical ligaments
- Median umbilical ligament
- Urachuses
- Urachi
The urachus (plural: urachuses or urachi 6,7) is the fibrous vestigial remnant of the embryonic allantois.
The lumen of the urachus usually obliterates following birth and becomes known as the median umbilical ligament which is in turn covered by a midline linear fibrous fold of parietal peritoneum (the median umbilical fold) 3. This fold extends from the apex of the bladder to the umbilicus. It is located in the retropubic space.
If the lumen does not completely involute, a spectrum of urachal remnants may persist, including 4:
A urachal remnant may transform into an adenocarcinoma 5.
References
- 1. Yu JS, Kim KW, Lee HJ, Lee YJ, Yoon CS, Kim MJ. Urachal remnant diseases: spectrum of CT and US findings. (2001) Radiographics : a review publication of the Radiological Society of North America, Inc. 21 (2): 451-61. doi:10.1148/radiographics.21.2.g01mr02451 - Pubmed
- 2. Moore KL, Agur AMR, Dalley AF. Clinically oriented anatomy. LWW. ISBN:1451119453. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
- 3. Last's anatomy, regional and applied. Churchill Livingstone. ISBN:044304662X. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
- 4. Parada Villavicencio C, Adam SZ, Nikolaidis P, Yaghmai V, Miller FH. Imaging of the Urachus: Anomalies, Complications, and Mimics. Radiographics : a review publication of the Radiological Society of North America, Inc. 36 (7): 2049-2063. doi:10.1148/rg.2016160062 - Pubmed
- 5. Jandou, I., Ettanji, A., Mohammed, E., Moataz, A., Mohammed, D., Debbagh, A., & Aboutaieb, R. (2021). Mucosal urinary secretion revealing adenocarcinoma of urachus. Annals of Medicine and Surgery, 65, 102335. doi:10.1016/j.amsu.2021.102335
- 6. Liang Cheng, David G. Bostwick. Urologic Surgical Pathology E-Book. (2014) ISBN: 9780323086196
- 7. Yiee, Jenny & Garcia, Nilda & Baker, Linda & Barber, Robert & Snodgrass, Warren & Wilcox, Duncan. (2008). A diagnostic algorithm for urachal anomalies. Journal of pediatric urology. 3. 500-4. 10.1016/j.jpurol.2007.07.010. doi:10.1016/j.jpurol.2007.07.010
Incoming Links
Articles:
Cases:
- Infected urachal cyst with sinus formation
- Urachal adenocarcinoma
- Prominent median umbilical ligament
- Median umbilical ligament
- Renal cell carcinoma
- Patent urachus - adult
- Intravesical urachal cyst
- Urachal adenocarcinoma
- Urachus (illustration)
- Vesicourachal diverticulum
- Infected urachal cyst
- Infected patent urachus
- Median umbilical ligament
- Urachal remnant adenocarcinoma
Multiple choice questions:
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