Aurachalcyst is a sac of tissue and fluid between the bladder and the belly button (umbilicus).
The closure doesn’t occur in some infants, causing a urachal cyst or sinus to form.
However, drainage from the cyst can sometimes cause discomfort or other symptoms.
Verywell / Laura Porter
The cyst can also get infected, a serious condition that needs immediate medical treatment.
If the urachus remains open, its remnants can form a urachal cyst.
Urachal abnormalities are uncommon.
They are usually discovered incidentally during imaging scans and autopsies.
They’re twice as likely to be found in men than women.
Urachal cysts are acongenital condition(present at birth), so there could be a genetic component.
Some research has also suggested the cysts arise when the urachal area does not fully develop.
Urachal cyst infections are most commonly seen in children between the ages of 2 and 4 years old.
Symptoms
Having a urachal cyst does not mean you will have symptoms.
Urachal cysts or abscesses usually only cause symptoms if they become infected.
Rarely, urachal cysts allow urine to drain out of the belly button.
It can lead to poor healing of theumbilical cordafter birth.
Drainage from a urachal cyst causes a constantly moist belly button, with urine coming from the navel.
If not frequently cleaned, skin reddening and afoul odormay develop.
Without treatment, infected cysts can cause serious health complications.
Complications
Complications that arise from urachal cysts are typically related to infection.
Bacterial infections are most common and are usually caused byStaphylococcus aureus.
Infected material from the cyst can then migrate into the bladder or peritoneal cavity.
This complication is rare but life-threatening.
Urachal cancer is very rare form of bladder cancer, but it is highly aggressive.
These scans allow healthcare providers to determine whether a cyst is present and problematic.
Treatment would only be urgent if the cyst becomes infected.
In this case,antibioticsare required.
Most urachal cyst infections can be treated with medications you take by mouth (oral antibiotics).
Sometimes, an infected urachal cyst needs to be removed surgically.
Surgery may be recommended if the cyst causes excessive draining, irritation, discomfort, and/or repeated infection.
Removing the urachal cyst prevents future infections and reduces the risk of urachal cancer.
Much more rarely, a urachal cyst can lead to urachal cancer.
Urachal cyst excision (surgical removal) reduces the risk of these complications.
Kwok CM.Infected urachal cyst in an adult: A laparascopic approach.Case Rep Gastroenterol.
2019;16:100041. doi:10.1016/j.tria.2019.100041
University of California, San Francisco Medical Center - Department Of Urology.Urachal abnormalities.
Shan T, Lung-Huang L, Shih-Pin H.An infected urachal cyst presenting as acute abdominal pain in a child.Medicine.
2020 Jan;99(5):e18884.
doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000018884
Jayakumar S, Darlington D.Acute presentation of urachal cyst: A case report.Cureus.
2020 May;12(5):e8220.
2018;2018(3).
Genetic And Rare Diseases Information Center (GARD).Urachal cyst.
National Institutes of Health, National Center for Advancing Translational Medicine.
2016;36(7):2049-2063. doi:10.1148/rg.2016160062
