Lateral umbilical fold

Lateral umbilical fold
Posterior view of the anterior abdominal wall in its lower half. The peritoneum is in place, and the various cords are shining through.
The peritoneum of the male pelvis.
Identifiers
TA98	A10.1.02.434
TA2	3796
FMA	16537
Anatomical terminology

The lateral umbilical fold overlies the inferior epigastric artery (a branch of the external iliac artery) and its accompanying veins. Unlike the median and medial umbilical folds, the contents of the Lateral Umbilical fold remain functional after birth.

Clinical significance

The lateral umbilical fold is an important reference site with regards to hernia classification. A direct or acquired hernia occurs medial to the lateral umbilical fold, whereas an indirect (congenital) hernia originates lateral to the fold. This later case is due to the placement of the opening of the deep inguinal ring in the space lateral to the lateral umbilical fold, which allows the passage of the ductus deferens, testicular artery, and other components of the spermatic cord.

See also

• Median umbilical ligament (some sources consider this the same structure)
• Medial umbilical ligament

External links

• Lateral umbilical fold
  • Anatomy figure: 36:03-09 at Human Anatomy Online, SUNY Downstate Medical Center - "Internal surface of the anterior abdominal wall."
  • Anatomy image:7384 at the SUNY Downstate Medical Center

Additional images

• 
  The arteries of the pelvis.

This article incorporates text in the public domain from page 1152 of the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)