Persistent Vitellointestinal Duct Causing Small Bowel Obstruction - A Rare Entity.

ABSTRACT

Vitellointestinal {omphalo-mesenteric (OMD)} duct connects the developing mid-gut to the primitive yolk sac, provides nutrition to the embryo and remains patent and connected to the intestines until the fifth to ninth week of gestational period. Varied remnants of the vitellointestinal duct have been reported. The present case report describes a completely obliterated fibrous remnant of the duct. The remnant presented as a thick cord extending from the umbilicus towards the terminal part of ileum with a Meckel’s diverticulum. Herein, we report a case of 20 yr old male who presented with the features of small bowel obstruction due to completely obliterated fibrous remnant of the duct which is a rare entity. Although persistent omphalomesentric duct is an extremely infrequent cause of small bowel obstruction in adult patients, it should be taken into consideration in patients without any previous surgical history.