Two causes have been postulated:
- Extracorporeal Liver (liver containing
omphaloceles), the herniation is believed to be caused by failure of the
lateral body folds to migrate and the body wall to close (1).
- Intracorporeal Liver (primary
bowel containing omphaloceles), are believed to be due to persistence of
the primitive body stalk beyond menstrual weeks (2,3). Bowel herniates
physiologically into the base of the cord but fails to return to the
abdominal cavity (4).
- Seashore JH. Congenital
abdominal wall defects. Clin Perinatol 1978;5:62.
- Nyberg DA, Fitzsimmons J,
Mack LA et.al. Chromosomal abnormalities in fetuses with omphalocele:
significance of omphalocele contents. J Ultrasound Med 1989;8:299-308.
- DeVries PA. The pathogenesis
of gastroschisis and omphalocele. J Pediatr Surg 1980;15:245.
- Nyberg DA, Mack LA. Abdominal
wall defects. In: Nyberg DA, Mahony BS, Pretorius DH (eds). Diagnostic
ultrasound of fetal anomalies. St Louis, Mo: Mosby-Year Book,
1990;395-432.