Synonyms

No known synonym

Name of the disease in English

Patent or pervious urachus

The disease in brief

The urachus is the vestige of the allantoic canal which connects, in the embryo, the cloaca to the umbilical cord and which regresses to be completely disappeared at birth in the normal subject. It becomes fibrous. The anomalies of this regression can leave a complete communication between the bladder and the canal until its umbilical exit. This canal will facilitate local infection, and its complications of abscess and cystitis.

Clinic & diagnosis

A young calf's navel is wet with urine or urine is dripping from its navel. These symptoms often accompany signs of omphalitis or cystitis, which justifies clarifying the diagnosis before intervening.

Typical sign of the disease

No description

Pictures

See below

Diagnostic formulas

No description

Differential diagnosis

- Infected urachus canal (or abscess) N13

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Confirm a suspicion?

An ultrasound will be useful to clarify the anomaly and to know if an infection or an abscess accompanies the persistence.

Prognosis and treatment

If we intervene early and on limited urinary flow, we can try medical treatment: burn the orifice of the urachus canal with a silver nitrate pencil to trigger an inflammatory reaction which will obstruct the canal.

If an infection exists or medical treatment is unsuccessful, surgery should be considered.

Prevention

No prevention.

References

Large animal internal Medecine-5^th edition. SMITH B.BP. Mosby ed p336