Gastroschisis is a full-thickness defect of the anterior abdominal wall, typically located just to the right of the umbilical insertion site, through which intestines and other viscera herniate without a covering membrane or sac, distinguishing it from omphalocele. Its right-sided predominance is explained by developmental vascular biology: the right umbilical vein normally regresses in the second month of gestation while the left umbilical vein persists via the ductus venosus, and premature closure of the right umbilical vein—which normally supplies nutritional support for right-sided abdominal wall development—results in incomplete wall formation. This is a topic within gastrointestinal pathology concerning congenital anomalies of abdominal wall development.
Gastroschisis is a full-thickness defect of the anterior abdominal wall, typically located just to the right of the umbilical insertion site, through which intestines and other viscera herniate witho…