Which condition is a midline abdominal wall defect with no membranous covering and bowel contents outside the abdomen?

Which condition is a midline abdominal wall defect with no membranous covering and bowel contents outside the abdomen?

• A. Gastroschisis
• B. Omphalocele
• C. Sacrococcygeal teratoma
• D. Wilms tumor

Answer: (A)

Recognize abdominal wall defects by whether the herniated viscera are covered by a membrane. When bowel protrudes outside the abdomen without any membranous covering, the classic finding is gastroschisis. The bowel is exposed to amniotic fluid, typically located just to the right of the umbilicus, and there is no protective sac around the loops. This distinguishes it from other conditions where a sac or covering is present. Omphalocele, for example, involves midline herniation into the umbilical cord base but is enclosed by a membranous sac. The other options are not defects with exposed bowel: sacrococcygeal teratoma is a mass at the tailbone, and Wilms tumor is a kidney tumor.

Recognize abdominal wall defects by whether the herniated viscera are covered by a membrane. When bowel protrudes outside the abdomen without any membranous covering, the classic finding is gastroschisis. The bowel is exposed to amniotic fluid, typically located just to the right of the umbilicus, and there is no protective sac around the loops. This distinguishes it from other conditions where a sac or covering is present. Omphalocele, for example, involves midline herniation into the umbilical cord base but is enclosed by a membranous sac. The other options are not defects with exposed bowel: sacrococcygeal teratoma is a mass at the tailbone, and Wilms tumor is a kidney tumor.