PATENT URACHUS IN A CALF

A patent urachus with an umbilical urachal cyst in a female 3 month-ol d calf was diagnosed. Since birth the calf has suffered from pollakiur ia and showed a 8 x 4 cm large cylindrical swelling at the umbilicus. Urine could be obtained by puncture of the umbilical swelling. The rad iographs showed the bladder and the enlarged urachus filled with contr ast medium. The patent urachus had a lumen of up to 5 cm width and nea rly 30 cm length. It was fixed to the umbilicus towards the cylindrica l swelling. At this point the lumen filled with contrast medium was ab out 1 mm. With ultrasound caudal the umbilicus an hypoechoic to anecho ic area was found, the wall of the suspected urachus was not visible. Gross pathology confirmed diagnosis after the poorly developed animal had been slaughtered. The post-mortem examination showed the remnant u rachus fixed to the ventral abdominal wall. The cranial and mid portio n of the urachus was lumenless, whereas the caudal third had an inner diameter of 1.5 cm width opening into the bladder. Absence of infectio n seemed to propone the involution of the urachus later.