Abdominal wall defects: omphalocele Alteraciones de la pared abdominal: onfalocele

Abstract

Introduction: abdominal wall defects are congenital malformations associated with herniated abdominal organs, such as omphalocele. Its estimated prevalence is 1 per 10.000 live births in western countries. In Colombia the prevalence of omphalocele remains unknown. Omphalocele may be pre or postnatally diagnosed. A series of systemic clinical exams, secondary diagnostic evaluation and assessment for accompanying anomalies, are necessary. Treatment has improved survival rate to 70 and 95%. Objective: to increase awareness of this anomaly and correlate genetic, environmental and clinical findings and complementary exams to enable the early diagnosis and referral of these patients to receive optimal treatment which will reduce mortality. Materials and methods: updated literature review using Pubmed, UpToDate and ClinicalKey search engines, focused on systematic reviews, clinical cases and main international clinical practice guidelines. Found data was submitted to the head of the pediatric surgery department and to the publications division for their information, review and approval Results: 17 articles published in the last 5 years including the most relevant which contained current clinical evidence, were selected. Discussion and conclusions: recent studies have evidenced new findings that have improved survival and reduced mortality in the last 50 years.