
What is a cyst on the umbilical cord?
Umbilical cord cysts are usually classified as true cysts or pseudocysts. True cysts are derived from the embryological remnants of either the allantois or the omphalomesenteric duct, are located typically towards the fetal insertion of the cord and range from 4 to 60 mm in size 21 - 23.
What is the prevalence of umbilical cord cysts in second and third trimester?
The second- and third-trimester umbilical cord cysts are a rare sonographic finding and its prevalence is unknown. There is a strong association between umbilical cord cysts and fetal anomalies but not in all cases.
Can ultrasound detect umbilical cord cysts?
The widespread use of high-resolution obstetric ultrasound has allowed accurate evaluation not only of the embryo and fetus, but also of the placenta and umbilical cord. Cysts of the umbilical cord have been identified using ultrasound at various stages of gestation.
Can you have triplets with an umbilical cord cyst?
One of the two pregnancies, which ended prematurely, was a multiple pregnancy with triplets with an umbilical cord cyst on one of the monochorionic twins. In singleton pregnancies with the finding of a single umbilical cord cyst, no case was recorded with low birth weight (less than p10) [10].

Do umbilical cord cysts cause any risk to the fetus?
Umbilical cord cysts in the first trimester generally do not affect pregnancy, fetal growth, or birth. A placental cyst may cause fetal growth retardation if attached close to umbilical cord insertion.
Do first trimester umbilical cord cysts go away?
Most cord cysts detected in the first trimester are transient and disappear by 14 weeks' gestation. These transient cysts are not associated with an additional risk to the pregnancy. Umbilical cord cysts are classified as either true cysts or pseudocysts.
How common are umbilical cord problems?
Nuchal cords are a surprisingly common condition, occurring in as many as 35% of pregnancies. A nuchal cord becomes dangerous when the cord wraps tightly around the baby's neck, often during labor and delivery, and the flow of blood to the baby is interrupted.
What is the most common problem with umbilical cord abnormalities?
Atresia, aplasia, or agenesis of one artery can lead to single umbilical artery syndrome [5]. Single umbilical artery (SUA) is the most common abnormality of the umbilical cord.
What causes umbilical cord abnormalities?
The cord may be too long or too short. It may connect improperly to the placenta or become knotted or compressed. Cord abnormalities can lead to problems during pregnancy or during labor and delivery. In some cases, cord abnormalities are discovered before delivery during an ultrasound.
What causes placental cyst?
Conclusions: Most placental surface cysts are associated with a normal pregnancy outcome. Most such cysts are related to cystic change in an area of subchorionic fibrin. Cysts larger than 4.5 cm or more than 3 in number are more frequently associated with intrauterine growth restriction.
At what week do most stillbirths occur?
An early stillbirth is a fetal death occurring between 20 and 27 completed weeks of pregnancy. A late stillbirth occurs between 28 and 36 completed pregnancy weeks. A term stillbirth occurs between 37 or more completed pregnancy weeks..
What are the abnormalities of the umbilical cord?
Typesmorphologic abnormalities include. hypercoiling or hypocoiling of the cord. ... insertion abnormalities include. ... presentation abnormalities includes vasa previa and umbilical cord prolapse.in utero distortion abnormalities include. ... vascular abnormalities include. ... cystic abnormalities.cord masses include.
When do most umbilical cord accidents happen?
Table I summarizes these cases and surprisingly suggests that the majority of deaths were during the mother's sleep cycle (12 midnight to 7 am). Fetal death could be explained by known physiologic changes which occur during maternal sleep.
Can umbilical cysts go away?
True cysts contain fluid from the original embryo that developed into your baby. These cysts usually go away on their own and are located close to where the umbilical cord connects to the baby.
Who is at risk of stillbirth?
The biggest nongenetic risk factors for a stillbirth in the United States are being an older mother; expecting more than one baby; having no other children; smoking; using drugs or alcohol; and having obesity, diabetes (gestational or not) or high blood pressure, according to the American College of Obstetricians and ...
What are the abnormalities associated with short or long umbilical cords?
Complications associated with long or short umbilical cord may explain this enigma. Excessively short cords have been associated with a delay in second stage of labor, irregular fetal heart rate, placental abruption, rupture of umbilical cord, inversion of uterus, birth asphyxia, and cord herniation.
Who gets Umbilical Cord Cyst? (Age and Sex Distribution)
The incidence of Umbilical Cord Cyst is difficult to predict; however, some studies have estimated that during the first trimester it can reach as high as 3.4% (or 1 in 30 pregnancies)
What are the Risk Factors for Umbilical Cord Cyst? (Predisposing Factors)
Typically, no risk factors have been clearly identified for Umbilical Cord Cysts
What are the Signs and Symptoms of Umbilical Cord Cyst?
Typically, in a majority of cases, significant signs and symptoms of Umbilical Cord Cyst are not observed
What are the possible Complications of Umbilical Cord Cyst?
If the Umbilical Cord Cyst is persistent and progressive in size, there can be fetal compromise due to restriction of blood flow through the umbilical cord
How is Umbilical Cord Cyst Treated?
Once Umbilical Cord Cyst is diagnosed, the pregnant mother is closely monitored over the entire duration of pregnancy
How can Umbilical Cord Cyst be Prevented?
Currently, there are no definitive methods available to prevent the formation of an Umbilical Cord Cyst
Additional and Relevant Useful Information for Umbilical Cord Cyst
The following DoveMed website link is a useful resource for additional information:
What is an umbilical cord cyst?
Diagnosis and Treatment of Umbilical Cord Cysts. An umbilical cord cyst refers to any cystic lesion, or sac of fluid, on the umbilical cord. They have irregular shapes and may exist anywhere along ...
What happens when the umbilical cord is damaged?
When the umbilical cord develops a problem, such as prolapse or cord knots, it can cause complications with the pregnancy and child development.
What is a false cyst?
False cysts may relate to chromosomal anomalies or genetic conditions in the baby. Second- or third-trimester cysts, combined with other abnormalities, may come with an increased risk of miscarriage or structural anomalies. Umbilical cord cysts in the first trimester generally do not affect pregnancy, fetal growth, or birth.
How big is a cyst?
They most often range in size between four and sixty millimeters. Most true cysts abate on their own. False cysts. A false cyst, or pseudocyst, is more common than a true cyst. They can occur anywhere on the umbilical cord. A false cyst contains fluid from Wharton's jelly, or the cushiony substance between blood vessels.
Where do true cysts occur?
True cysts. A true cyst occurs at the placental end of the umbilical cord, close to where it connects to the infant. It contains fluid from the embryo, and is a small remnant of the umbilical vesicle. They most often range in size between four and sixty millimeters. Most true cysts abate on their own.
Can a placental cyst cause fetal growth retardation?
A placental cyst may cause fetal growth retardation if attached close to umbilical cord insertion. A doctor should closely monitor a placental cyst that exists near umbilical cord insertion, to ensure the regular flow of blood through the umbilical cord.
Can a cyst in the umbilical cord be a single cyst?
A patient can have a single cyst or multiple cysts. Doctors diagnose umbilical cord cysts most often in the first trimester, using ultrasound technology. Cysts found in the first trimester generally do not affect pregnancy. Cysts that persist into the second or third trimester, however, have higher odds of causing complications.
How long does it take for umbilical cord cysts to resolve?
All cysts resolved on follow-up sonography, which was performed between 9 weeks 4 days and 20 weeks 5 days. Patients with umbilical cord cysts were found to have a lower body mass index than those with normal umbilical cords. There was no significant difference in abnormal sonographic findings between cohorts.
How many intrauterine fetal demises are there in the umbilical cord cyst cohort?
There were 2 intrauterine fetal demises in the umbilical cord cyst cohort and 1 in the normal umbilical cord cohort. There was no difference between the cohorts when comparing gestational age at delivery and birth weight.
Can umbilical cord cysts be associated with pregnancy complications?
Umbilical cord cysts in the first trimester: are they associated with pregnancy complications? There does not appear to be an association between poor pregnancy outcomes and umbilical cord cysts during the first trimester .
What is the prevalence of umbilical cord cysts?
During the first trimester, the prevalence of umbilical cord cysts ranges from 0.4 to 3.4% 1 - 5. The prevalence of umbilical cord cysts in the second and third trimesters is unknown and, to date, relevant investigations have been confined to case reports or small series 6 - 20. There is a difference in the clinical significance and the prognosis between first-trimester and second/third-trimester umbilical cord cysts. According to most studies, the majority of first-trimester cysts are transient findings that have no adverse effect on pregnancy outcome 1, 2, 4. Yet, the prognosis in cases with persistent cysts seems to be similar to that of second-trimester cysts 3 .
What is the size of a true cyst in the umbilical cord?
True cysts are derived from the embryological remnants of either the allantois or the omphalomesenteric duct, are located typically towards the fetal insertion of the cord and range from 4 to 60 mm in size 21 - 23 .
Where are cysts located in the fetal cord?
Cysts can be multiple or single, and can be central or located near the fetal or the placental insertion of the cord. According to several studies there might be an association between the morphologic characteristics of cord cysts and the risk of fetal abnormalities.
Is a first trimester cyst a transient?
According to most studies, the majority of first-trimester cysts are transient findings that have no adverse effect on pregnancy outcome 1, 2, 4. Yet, the prognosis in cases with persistent cysts seems to be similar to that of second-trimester cysts 3 .
Can umbilical cord cysts occur in the second trimester?
The prevalence of umbilical cord cysts in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy is unknown. Details on affected pregnancies are based mainly on the findings of case reports, and thus the prognosis and outcome for fetuses with this cord anomaly remain unclear. However, there are a few series reporting the outcome of pregnancies with umbilical cord cysts and these may shed some light on this issue.
What is the ultrasound for umbilical cord cyst?
In case of cord cyst diagnosis it is recommended to perform a comprehensive ultrasound examination looking for other abnormalities and, if these are founded, the need to carry out a fetal karyotype has to be considered. Within the chromosomal abnormalities that may appear associated with umbilical cord cysts, trisomy 18 is frequent, and the ultrasound anomaly that is most closely related is omphalocele.
Can umbilical cord cysts be ultrasounded?
Introduction. Although umbilical cord cysts are a relatively common, they cannot be considered a non-pathological ultrasound finding. Some reviews indicate that small cysts can be found in up to 3% of pregnancies in the first trimester. Sometimes are associated with other structural and/or chromosomal malformations (even up to 20%), [1], [2], [3], ...
