This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Go to /pro/cpd-dashboard page

This page is worth 0.05 CPD credits. CPD dashboard

Go to /account/subscription-details page

This page is worth 0.05 CPD credits. Upgrade to Pro

Ompholiths

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

Ompholiths are hard lumps which are the result of a mixture of sebaceous secretions hairs and fluff ('belly button lint') from clothing collecting in the umbilicus.

The diagnosis can be made on inspection if the grey-brown surface of the stone is visible. On palpation, the whole umbilicus feels swollen and hard.

In fact, umbilical concretions are often stony hard and a probe can be pushed into them with ease.

Notes:

  • finding of 'belly-button lint' is quite common among hairy man
    • usually it is washed off during bathing or shower and rarely does it cause any inflammation
      • has been suggested that abdominal hair is mainly responsible for directing the fibers from clothes into the navel where they are compacted
      • shaving abdominal hair can prevent lint accumulation in the umbilicus
  • obesity, deep umbilicus, and poor hygiene may be predisposing factors for developing lint accumulation

Reference:

Create an account to add page annotations

Annotations allow you to add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation. E.g. a website or number. This information will always show when you visit this page.