Minimally Invasive Treatment of Falciform Ligament Abscess in a 25-Day-Old Neonate: A Case Report

The peritoneal folds, known to include the ligaments, the mesentery and omenta, which encompass blood vessels and lymphatics, connect the intraperitoneal organs to the abdominal wall, and provide a pathway for the spread of disease (1). The falciform ligament is one of the suspensory ligaments of the liver, which contains the ligament teres and an umbilical vein remnant (2). Ligaments generally provide a potential space for the spread of disease, yet a primary falciform ligament-related disease is quite rare. A falciform ligament abscess is even rarer than any other falciform ligament-related disorders. There were few reports of the falciform ligament abscess after omphalitis: one extended from omphalitis through the paraumbilical venous network (3) and the others resulted from contiguous spread of the infection via the round ligament (4). In this report, we present a 25-day-old infant with the falciform ligament abscess that developed after umbilical venous catheter (UVC) insertion, which was effectively managed with percutaneous drainage and antibiotic treatment.