1.

Pleural and Pericardial Cavities

- Two Pleural (laterally located), One Pericardial Cavity (medially located)
a. Pleural Sac or Pleural cavity
b. Lung – soft, spongy
- - three lobes: smaller anterior, larger middle and posterior lobes
- Posterior lobe lobules: medial and lateral
c. Heart – under the sternum
i. Pericardial cavity – narrow space between the pericardial sac and the heart
ii. Visceral pericardium – adherent to heart wall; blood vessels enter and leave the
heart
d. Mediastinal septum – stretches from the heart to the ventral medial line
- consists of two medial walls of the left and right pleural sacs
e. Mediastinum – space between the two walls of the mediastinal septum
f. Diaphragm – muscular dome shaped partition forming the posterior wall of the pleural
sac
g. Pleura – smooth moist membrane lining the pleural sac
- - parietal pleura: lines the inside of the pleural cavity, covers the anterior face of the
diaphragm, together with the medial wall of the other pleural sac
- - visceral pleura: passes over the surface of the lung (indistinguishably fused)
h. Thymus – mass of gland tissue; ventral to the anterior part of the heart and extending
forward; derived from the entodermal lining of certain of the gill pouches of the embryo
i. Radix – root of the lung
j. Pulmonary ligament – fold of the pleura; attachment to the dorsal thoracic wall
k. Dorsal aorta – very large vessel; arched away from the heart to the left and descends
towards the diaphragm
l. Esophagus – lying in mediastinum
m. Central tendon - circular tendon of diaphragm
2. Peritoneal cavity
a. Liver – posterior to diaphragm; large and lobed
b. Coils of intestine – posterior to liver
c. Greater omentum – thin membrane impregnated with streaks of fat; covers the
intestine ventrally
d. Urinary bldder – pear shaped; distended with fluid
e. Stomach – under liver then dorsally and to the left of it; small and elongated in cat; cardia:
junction of stomach and esophagus and adjacent to this is the cardiac end; lesser
curvature: short and slightly concave anterior surface of stomach from the cardia to
pylorus; greater curvature: larger convex posterior surface; fundus: saclike bulge of the
stomach to the left of the cardia; pylorus: point of junction of the small intestine and
stomach
f. Spleen – attached to the left border of stomach
g. Kidneys – round organs; under the coils of the intestine
h. Uterus – its horns will be noted as a tube on each side in the posterior part of the
peritoneal cavity
i. Peritoneum – lines the peritoneal cavity; parietal and visceral (serosa)
 j. Mesenteries – or ligaments; double walled membranes; dorsal and ventral (persists in
the region of the liver and urinary bladder)
k. Mesogaster – extending from the dorsal wall to the stomach
l. Greater omentum – large and extensive sheet covering the intestine; adjacent to
greater curvature
m. Lesser peritoneal sac
n. Gastrosplenic (gastrolienal) ligament – portion of the great omentum between the
spleen and the stomach
o. Gastrocolic ligament – between the mesogaster and the mesentery of the intestine
p. Gallbladder – imbedded in the right median lobe
q. Caudate lobe – between liver and stomach
r. Lesser omentum or gastro-hepato-duodenal ligament – gastrohepatic (lesser curvature
to liver) and hepatoduodenal (liver to the first part of small intestine)
s. Bile duct
t. Cystic duct - gallbladder
u. Hepatic duct – liver
v. Common bile duct – union of cystic and hepatic
w. Hepatic portal vein – right and dorsa to the bile duct DO NOT DAMAGE
x. Foramen epiploicum – entrance into the cavity of the omentum
y. Falciform ligament – extends from between the two median lobes of the liver to the
median ventral line
z. Coronary ligament – stout ligament attaching the liver to the central tendon of the
diaphragm; circular in form
aa. Duodenum – bound to the liver by the hepatoduodenal ligament; curves abruptly
caudad
bb. Mesoduodenum – dorsal mesentery supporting the duodenum
cc. Duodenorenal ligament – attached to the right kidney; mesenterial fold
dd. Pancreas – in the mesoduodenum; spreading the mesentery; definite, compact and
pinkish gland; extends to the left into the dorsal wall of the greater omentum
ee. Pancreatic duct – two in cats
ff. Ampulla of Vater – union of bile and pancreatic ducts
gg. Jejunum
hh. Ileum
ii. Caecum - junction of small and large intestine;
jj. Large intestine or colon – passes forward as ascending colon; extends across the
peritoneal cavity as the transverse colon; turns abruptly at left and proceeds straight
posteriorly as the descending colon
kk. Mesocolon – mesentery of the colon
ll. Urinary bladder – occupying the posterior end of the peritoneal cavity
1. Median ligament – extends to the median ventral line
2. Lateral ligament – near the exit of the bladder from the peritoneal
cavity
mm. Rectum – terminal portion of the descending colon
3. Others
a. Lymph glands
b. Lymph nodules – abundantly present in the wall of the intestine
c. Peyer’s patches – aggregations of lymph nodules; occur as oval light colored spots along
the colon
d. Rugae – marked ridges in stomach
e. Pyloric valve
f. Villi – wall of small intestine
g. Ileocolic valve – projecting into the ileum; junction of large and small intestine