Peritoneum and Major

Abdominal Vessels

Richard D. Lane, Ph.D.

Professor and Acting Chairman
Department of Neurosciences
Room 103, Block HSB
Rlane@meduohio.edu
 AO

AO

AO
• Peritoneum: A large, thin, transparent sheet of
serous membrane which lines the walls of the
abdominopelvic cavity and is reflected onto the
viscera.
•
– Parietal peritoneum: lines the abdominal and pelvic walls.
•
– Visceral peritoneum: covers abdominal and pelvic organs.

– Peritoneal Cavity: potential space between adjacent layers

of peritoneum usually containing a small amount of fluid.

•
 Visceral
Parietal Sm
Peritoneum
Intestine
Peritoneum
Mesentery
Peritoneal
Cavity
• Peritoneal Cavity:
• Subdivided by the greater and lesser omentum into
two sacs called the Greater and Lesser sacs
(omental bursa). The Omental foramen (Epiploic
foramen) connects the 2 sacs.

• Closed space in males, communicates with exterior

in females.
Mesentery: Double layer of peritoneum that connects an
intraperitoneal organ to the posterior abdominal
wall.

Has a connective tissue core in which blood

vessels, nerves and lymphatics travel to and
from the intraperitoneal organ.

Organs with a mesentery are freely movable.

Intraperitoneal Organs: covered with visceral peritoneum except at sites
where the mesentery attaches.
Examples: 1) Small intestine
2) Spleen

Retroperitoneal (Extraperitoneal) Organs: not covered with visceral

peritoneum on one or more sides.
Do not have a mesentery.
Some organs are secondarily retroperitoneal.
Omentum: Double layer of peritoneum attached to the stomach and
proximal part of duodenum.

– Lesser Omentum: Attaches the stomach (along the lesser

curvature) to the liver. Subdivided into 2 ligaments
(hepatogastric and hepatoduodenal ligaments).

– Greater Omentum: Attaches the stomach (along the greater

curvature) to the posterior abdominal wall.
Subdivided into 3 ligaments
(gastrophrenic, gastrosplenic, and
gastrocolic ligaments).

Peritoneal Ligaments: Double layer of peritoneum which connect organs

to organs or organs to the body wall.

Examples: 1) Gastrophrenic ligament

2) Hepatoduodenal ligament
Hepatoduodenal ligament Hepatogastric ligament
Hepatic A. Gastrophrenic
Portal V. ligament
Bile duct

Gastro-
Splenic
ligament
Omental
Foramen

Lesser Sac

Gastrocolic ligament
 Subphrenic recess
Coronary ligaments

Superior recess

Stomach ANTERIOR

Greater Sac
(red area)

TC
 Hepatosplenic ligament

Stomach

Lesser Sac
Greater
Sac Omental
Right
Foramen Left
Spleen

Hepatorenal
Pouch

Splenorenal
ligament
Peritoneal folds: A ridge on the surface of the body wall covered with parietal peritoneum.
The ridge is produced by an underlying vessel, duct or obliterated fetal vessel.

Lateral umbilical fold

(inferior epigastric v.s)

Medial umbilical fold

(obliterated umbilical artery)

Median umbilical fold)

(urachus)
Peritoneal Recesses or Fossa: a pouch of peritoneum
formed by peritoneal folds or ligaments.
Peritoneal Gutters

HRP Supracolic
Compartment

Transverse colon

Right paracolic R
gutter RPG Infracolic
space Left paracolic
LPG
gutter

L Infracolic
space
Mesentery
Infracolic
Compartmnent

Rectouterine
pouch
 Abdominal aorta

Celiac artery

Superior mesenteric artery

Inferior
mesenteric
artery

Common iliac arteries

Common hepatic artery

Proper hepatic artery

Marginal artery of Drummond
Anastamosing channels connecting
The branches of the SMA and IMA
Left colic
artery

Sigmoidal
artery

Superior
rectal
artery
The hepatic portal venous system begins
at the venous ends of capillaries in the
organs of the GI tract and ends at the
venous sinusoids in the liver.

The portal vein is formed by the joining of

the splenic vein with the superior
mesenteric vein. The inferior mesenteric
vein usually joins the splenic vein.
• Portal hypertension: Occurs when portal
circulation through the liver is obstructed
by liver disease (cirrhosis) or tumor. The
high portal pressure promotes the
enlargement (varices) of alternate
pathways to the caval system.