Natural History (Omphalocele)

5.4-year-old girl with an epithelializised mass of the abdomen. Notice the absence of a navel and the tall trunk with a small abdominal cavity, and the pigeon chest. In contrast to the gastroschisis, patients with an omphalocele may survive spontaneously, and the sac of the omphalocele can be epithelializised during the first year of life with or without a disinfectant and astringent tincture. Elective surgery can be performed afterwards selectively in these rare cases.