The tying of the umbilical cord at birth stops the outflow of blood through the umbilical arteries and its return through the umbilical vein. That part of the umbilical vein between the liver and the umbilicus undergoes atrophy and obliteration after birth and, lying within a reflection of the anterior abdominal wall, forms the ligamentum teres of the liver. In this case the umbilical vein persisted as a firm band extending freely through the peritoneal cavity from the umbilicus to the hilum of the liver and obstructed the duodenum, transverse colon, and small intestine. In addition, the patient had a definite pyloric tumor which was diagnosed preoperatively.
Report of Case
The patient was a 13-day-old white female infant who was admitted to the Misericordia Hospital, Bronx, N.Y., because of weight loss and projectile vomiting which would occur promptly after each feeding and was never bile-stained. She was the product of