Funisitis is inflammation of the connective tissue of the umbilical cord, which may cause abortion.
It is typically preceded by vasculitis of the umbilical artery or veins and may be the result of chorioamnionitis.
Necrotizing funisitis is a very severe form of funisitis in which the tissue that makes-up the umbilical cord starts to die. It is associated with congenital syphilis. It is now rare, and seen almost exclusively in the preterm infant. The majority of affected infants are stillborn, or die within a few weeks of birth.