Abdomen - Stomach & Omenta Viceral structures

Organ/Part of Organ Location/Description

apron-like specialization of peritoneum attaching along the greater curvature of the stomach

Notes
subdivisions: gastrophrenic ligament, gastrosplenic ligament, gastrocolic ligament, omental apron

greater omentum

gastrophrenic ligament

peritoneum connecting the fundus of the stomach to the left side of the diaphragm part of the greater omentum; derived from the above the spleen dorsal mesogastrium in the embryo peritoneum connecting the greater curvature of stomach with the hilum of the spleen peritoneum connecting the greater curvature of the stomach with the transverse colon part of the greater omentum that hangs inferiorly from the transverse colon part of the greater omentum; derived from the dorsal mesogastrium in the embryo; also known as: gastrolienal ligament part of the greater omentum; derived from the dorsal mesogastrium in the embryo

gastrosplenic ligament gastrocolic ligament omental apron

lesser omentum heptogastric ligaments hepatoduodenal ligaments

omental apron is derived from the dorsal mesogastrium during development subdivisions of the lesser omentum are the peritoneum stretching between the lesser heptogastric and hepatoduodenal ligaments; lesser curvature of the stomach and the visceral peritoneal sac (omental bursa) lies posterior to the surface of the liver lesser omentum and stomach part of the lesser omentum connecting the liver to the lesser curvature of the stomach hepatogastric ligament forms the anterior wall of the lesser peritoneal sac hepatoduodenal ligament contains the common bile duct, proper hepatic a. and portal v.; it forms the anterior wall of the omental (epiploic) foramen

part of the lesser omentum connecting the liver to the 1st part of duodenum

Abdomen - Stomach & Omenta Viceral structures

Organ/Part of Organ Location/Description Notes
stomach rotates during embryonic development so that the lesser curvature (originally the anterior surface) faces superiorly and to the right, the greater curvature (originally the posterior surface) faces inferiorly and to the left esophagus empties into the stomach at this location; also known as: cardiac region of the stomach

stomach cardia of the stomach

dilated portion of the digestive system located primarily in the upper left quadrant part of the stomach surrounding the opening of the esophagus

body of stomach fundus of stomach pylorus of the stomach angular notch of the stomach

part of the stomach between the fundus mucosal surface of the body of the stomach near the and the pylorus lesser curvature has gastric folds expanded superior part of the stomach above the entrance of the esophagus constricted distal part of the stomach to the right of the angular notch a sharp indentation located about 2/3 of the way down the lesser curvature of the stomach fundus may contain a gas bubble in X rays of patients filmed in a standing position pyloris contains the pyloric antrum and the pyloric sphincter angular notch marks the transition from body of stomach to pylorus

rugae of the stomach

rugae are ridges that generally run from the cardia of the stomach toward the pyloris along the lesser folds of the mucosal lining of the stomach curvature; also known as: gastric folds

Abdomen - Small Intestine Viceral structures

Organ/Part of Organ duodenum Location/Description
proximal segment of the small intestine

Notes
C-shaped; the duodenum has 4 parts: 1st or superior, 2nd or descending, 3rd or transverse, 4th or ascending jejunum is approximately 8 feet in length; wall of the jejunum is thicker than the wall of the ileum; plicae circulares (circular folds) are more pronounced in the jejunum than in the ileum; mesentery of the jejunum has less fat than that of the ileum; arterial arcades of the jejunum are more simple than those of the ileum; arteriae recta are longer in the jejunum than they are in the ileum

Jejunum

part of the small intestine that is continuous with the duodenum proximally (at the duodenojejunal junction) and the ileum distally (no obvious landmark for its termination)

Ilium

ileum is continuous with the jejunum proximally and terminates at ileocecal junction distally; it is approximately 12 feet in length; it has a thinner wall than the jejunum, lower plicae circulares than the jejunum, more fat in its mesentery than does the jejunum, more complex arterial arcades than the jejunum, shorter arteriae recta most distal part of the small intestine than the jejunum duodenojejunal junction is located in the left upper quadrant; it is suspended by the suspensory muscle (ligament) of the duodenum; the inferior mesenteric v. passes to left side of the duodenojejunal junction

duodenojejunal junction superior mesenteric

part of the small intestine where the duodenum is continuous with the jejunum abdominal aorta at the level of the lower 1/3 of the L1 vertebral body

Abdomen - Small Intestine Viceral structures

Organ/Part of Organ Location/Description Notes
cecum is continuous with the ileum (small intestine) at the ileocecal valve; it is continuous with the ascending colon distally; it is intraperitoneal but lacks a mesentery; first part of the large intestine which the vermiform appendix is attached to its is located in the right lower quadrant posteroinferior surface point at which the ileum joins the cecum ileocecal valve moderates the flow of intestinal contents from the ileum into the cecum

cecum ileocecal junction

Abdomen - Large Intestine Viceral structures

Organ/Part of Organ ileocecal valve Location/Description
a valve that marks the ileocecal junction

Notes
ileocecal valve is incompetent, not a sphincter; it has superior and inferior lips

vermiform appendix

vermiform appendix is attached to the posteroinferior surface of the cecum; it is usually located behind the cecum in the right iliac fossa; pain from the appendix projects to McBurney's point on anterior abdominal wall (1/3rd distance along and imaginary line from the anterior superior iliac spine terminal portion of the cecum which has to the umbilicus); it has a complete peritoneal a small dead-end lumen covering and a small mesentery (mesoappendix) peritoneum connecting the vermiform appendix to the mesentery of the small intestine part of the large intestine that is continuous with the cecum proximally and the transverse colon at the right colic (hepatic) flexure the cecum is retroperitoneal, but the appendix has its own mesentery which contains its blood supply a clinically relevant detail during appendectomy

mesoappendix

ascending colon

ascending colon is retroperitoneal right colic flexure lies anterior to the lower part of the right kidney and inferior to the right lobe of the liver; also known as: hepatic flexure hepatic flexure lies anterior to the lower part of the right kidney and inferior to the right lobe of the liver; also known as: right colic flexure

right colic flexure

junction of the ascending colon and the transverse colon

hepatic flexure

junction of the ascending colon and the transverse colon

Abdomen - Large Intestine Viceral structures

Organ/Part of Organ Location/Description Notes
transverse colon is continuous proximally with the ascending colon at the right colic (hepatic) flexure; it is continuous distally with the descending colon at the left colic (splenic) flexure; it is suspended from the posterior abdominal wall by the transverse mesocolon left colic flexure lies anterior to the left kidney and inferior to the spleen; also known as: splenic flexure transverse mesocolon represents the fusion of the transverse mesocolon with one layer of the greater omentum in the embryo; it forms the floor of the lesser peritoneal sac

transverse colon left colic flexure

part of the large intestine located between the left and right colic flexures junction of the transverse colon and descending colon

transverse mesocolon

peritoneum connecting the transverse colon to the posterior abdominal wall part of the large intestine that is continuous with the transverse colon at the left colic (splenic) flexure and the sigmoid colon at the pelvic brim

descending colon

descending colon is retroperitoneal

sigmoid colon

sigmoid mesocolon

sigmoid colon is continuous proximally with the descending colon at the left pelvic brim; it is continuous distally with the rectum at the level of part of the distal large intestine located the 3rd sacral vertebra; it is suspended from within the lower left quadrant posterior abdominal wall by the sigmoid mesocolon branches of the inferior mesenteric a. approach the sigmoid colon within the sigmoid mesocolon; ascending preganglionic parasympathetic axons course through the sigmoid mesocolon an their peritoneum connecting the sigmoid colon route from the pelvis (S2,3,4) to the descending to posterior abdominal wall colon

Abdomen - Large Intestine Viceral structures

Organ/Part of Organ rectum Location/Description
distal end of the colon

Notes
rectum begins at about the S3 vertebral level; it is continuous distally with the anal canal there are three teniae coli, named according to their position on the transverse colon: tenia omentalis (located at the line of attachment of the omental apron), tenia mesocolica (located at the line of attachment of the transverse mesocolon), tenia libera ("free" tenia - it has no mesenteric attachment obscuring it) haustra form where the longitudinal muscle layer of the wall of the large intestine is deficient; also known as: sacculations there are many appendices epiploices on the large intestine (except the rectum) and none on the small intestine; also known as: omental appendage

teniae coli haustra

band of longitudinal smooth muscle on the surface of the large intestine multiple pouches in the wall of the large intestine fat-filled pendants of peritoneum projecting from the visceral peritoneum on the surface of the large intestine

appendix epiploica