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OMPHALOCELE or EXOMPHALOS |
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Omphale Umbilicus |
| CORE TERMS |
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| Umbo |
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(Latin) knob, boss, hub ... |
| Umbilicus |
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navel,
nautic, nausea ... |
| Ombligo |
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(Spanish) umbilicus |
| Omphalon |
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(Greek), "the center of a thing", ... |
| Omphalocele |
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malformed umbilical cord with a membranous
sac (amnion-peritoneum lined) containing bowel
loops and often portions of the liver.
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| Menigocele |
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cele
of meninges |
| Cel or coel |
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prefix
for cavitated tumor as well as celestial hollow,
hallow ... coeliac, ... clitoris ...
celibacy ... cellular |
| Celom or coelom |
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early
embryonal cavity |
| Cecum or coecum |
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proximal blind large bowel or colon |
| Cele |
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(Prefix) cavitated mass or tumor, hernia |
| Cell |
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hiding
or small living space |
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| RELATED TERMS |
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| Gastroschisis |
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exstrophy of "belly" "viscera" through an
abdominal wall gap |
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ABDOMINAL EXSTROPHIES
Abdominal wall malformations or "birth defects"
are common. Umbilical and inguinal herniations or
"celes" and abdominal wall defects such as
gastroschisis and omphalocele can be noted before birth. Such defects may "leak" alfa-feto-protein
(AFP) which can be detected in maternal blood and
call for prenatal imaging studies in search of
malformations of the spine, abdominal wall and
other "leaky" fetal anomalies.The axis umbilicus-navy-nautic-navel-nausea
is a reminder that pregancy often causes "stomach sickness" and
emesis.
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Omphale Bossing Hercules. |
The umbilical cord anchors
the fetus to the placenta. In adults what remains is the navel
or a protrusion or "boss" or "umbo". |
In Greek OMPHALOS or UMBO in Latin denote
anchoring, "boss", prominence, knob, navel, and
umbilicus (a knob-like structure).
The terms OMPHALOCELE or exomphalos point to
OMPHALE who was the BOSS and mistress of Hercules.
Mutual love helped OMPHALE to boss, restrain and domesticate
Heracles. His boisteros and violent nature bacame
"anchored" by Omphale. This story is immortalized
in classic mythology and is illustrated by
painters like Rubens and Lemoyne.
The OMPHALOS was the navel or hub of the
Hellenistic world and was represented by a stone
proximal to the temple of Apollo in Delphi.
In biology and Medicine, the OMPHALOS is the
center of the organism and CELE or KELE refer
to a cavitated tumor or herniation at the point where the umbilicus would
normally attach. (Humanities and Fine
Arts continued ...)
OMPHALOCELE or EXOMPHALOS
Omphalocele is a "cavitated turmor" (cele) within a malformed
omphalon or umbilical cord. The cord inserts on a sac or "cele"
protruding from the abdomen and containing lops of bowel and often
portions of the liver.
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Omphaloceles often are associated with other malformations. Click and see: Sac
(amniotic and peritoneal membranes); umbilical cord inserting at the apex; exstrophy of abdominal viscera into
the sac. |
The fetus-newborn with omphalocele has an anterior
abdominal sac covered by membranes
(amnion-peritoneum) containing intestines.
The contents of the "cele" may also
include some portions of the liver and the
umbilical cord inserts at the apex of the hernia. In most instances (~60%) there
are other associated congenital defects
particularly malrotation of the intestines,
intestinal atresia, imperforate anus,
cardiovascular and genitourinary anomalies.
Notably, fetal chromosomal anomalies are
also common.
The Exomphalos - Macroglossia combination may be a signal of a high
cancer risk syndrome (Beckwith Wiedemann).
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Click and see: An infant with dysmorphic facial features;
dysmorphic ear; perhaps a frontal encephalocele; an omphocele; malformed
genitalia; a lower spine malformation, perhaps a schisis or
cleft; a dysmorphic penis; and a rocker bottom foot with prominent heel. Multiple
anomalies suggest a chromosomal abnormality syndrome.
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Note that GASTROSCHISIS is a lateral or "para"-medial
malformation, wrongfully referred to, at times, as "PARA-OMPHALOCELE" (there is no
"CELE");
the herniated gut is not contained in a sac; the
defect is most often on the right of the cord or
umbilicus; and that associated malformations and chromosomal
anomalies are rare. (see clinical photo gallery)
RELATED THEMES
MEDICAL FACT SHEETS
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