ABSTRACT
Before birth, the umbilical ring is a normal opening in the ventral abdominal wall at the site of attachment of the umbilical cord to the fetus. Early in development, the midgut communicates with the yolk sac via the vitelline duct but this normally involutes by birth. The umbilicus should be dry within days of separation of the umbilical cord stump. If it remains moist and there is an ongoing weeping discharge from granulation tissue at its base, an umbilical granuloma should be suspected. Urine may drain from the umbilicus through a patent urachus. If the urine is infected, it may be difficult to distinguish from faecal fluid. Hypospadias is caused by incomplete formation of the urethra and its adjacent structures in the male. The urethral orifice is proximal to its normal position and may be situated anywhere on the ventral surface of the penis in the midline, as far proximal as the scrotum.
