Compartment Anatomy of the Abdomen and Pelvis

Question 1

What communicates around the liver with the anterior and posterior subhepatic space?

Answer 1

Right subphrenic space

Question 2

The right subphrenic and subhepatic spaces communicate freely with the pelvic peritoneal cavity via?

Answer 2

Right paracolic gutter

Question 3

The left subphrenic space communicates freely with what space?

Answer 3

Left subhepatic space

Question 4

The left subphrenic space is separated from the right subphrenic space by what ligaments?

Answer 4

Falciform ligament

Question 5

The left subphrenic space is separated from the left paracolic gutter by what ligament?

Answer 5

Phrenicocolic ligament

Question 6

What space is a common location for abscesses and disease processes of the tail of the pancreas?

Answer 6

Left subphrenic space/ perisplenic space

Question 7

What space is affected by diseases of the duodenal bulb, lesser curve of the stomach, gallbladder, and left lobe of the liver?

Answer 7

Left subhepatic space (gastrohepatic recess)

Question 8

The caudal free end of the falciform ligament contains what ligament? Which is also a remnant of what embryological structure?

Answer 8

Ligamentum teres, which is a remnant of the obliterated umbilical vein.

Question 9

Paraumbilical veins that enlarged within the falciform ligament are a specific sign of what disease?

Answer 9

Portal hypertension

Question 10

What ligaments define the bare area of the liver?

Answer 10

Coronary ligaments

Question 11

What ligaments reflect between the bare area of the liver and the diaphragm and prevent access of ascites and other intraperitoneal processes from covering the bare area of the liver?

Answer 11

Coronary ligaments

Question 12

The lesser omentum is composed of what ligaments?

Answer 12

Gastrohepatic and hepatoduodenal ligaments

Question 13

What structure suspends the stomach and the duodenal bulb from the inferior surface of the liver?

Answer 13

Lesser omentum

Question 14

The lesser omentum separates what spaces? (Specifically)

Answer 14

It separates the gastrohepatic recess of the left subphrenic space from the lesser sac.

Question 15

The lesser sac communicates with the rest of the peritoneal cavity only through what foramen?

Answer 15

Foramen of Winslow

Question 16

Pathologic processes in the lesser sac usually occur because of disease in adjacent organs such as?

Answer 16

Stomach and pancreas

Question 17

It is a double layer of peritoneum that hangs from the greater curvature of the stomach and descends in front of the abdominal viscera, separating bowel from the anterior abdominal wall.

Answer 17

Greater omentum

Question 18

The retroperitoneal space between the diaphragm and pelvic brim is divided into what compartments?

Answer 18

Anterior pararenal, perirenal, and posterior pararenal compartments by the anterior and posterior renal fascia.

Question 19

What space extends between the posterior parietal peritoneum and the anterior renal fascia.

Answer 19

Anterior pararenal space

Question 20

The anterior pararenal space is bounded lateral by what fascia?

Answer 20

Lateroconal fascia

Question 21

What structures are within the anterior pararenal space?

Answer 21

Pancreas, duodenal loop, and ascending and descending portions of the colon

Question 22

What structures are within the perirenal space?

Answer 22

Kidney, adrenal gland, and perirenal fat

Question 23

The anterior renal fascia consist of how layers of many connective tissue? How many layers of connective tissue in the posterior renal fascia?

Answer 23

Anterior renal fascia = 1

Posterior renal fascia = 2

Question 24

The anterior layer of the posterior renal fascia is continuous with what structure?

Answer 24

Anterior renal fascia

Question 25

The posterior layer of the posterior renal fascia is continuous with what structure?

Answer 25

Lateroconal fascia

Question 26

What fascia usually prevents the spread of disease to the contralateral perirenal space?

Answer 26

Fascia surrounding aorta and vena cava

Question 27

Fluid collections in the perirenal space are usually renal in origins, such as?

Answer 27

Infection, urinoma, and haemorrhage

Question 28

What space is open superiorly to the bare area of the liver, allowing spread of disease processes (infection, tumour) between the kidney and liver?

Answer 28

Right perirenal space

Question 29

It is a potential space , usually filled only with fat, extending from the posterior renal fascia to the transversalis fascia.

Answer 29

Posterior pararenal space

Question 30

The posterior pararenal fat continues to the flank as seen in plain films of the abdomen as the ____________.

Answer 30

Properitoneal fat “stripe”

Question 31

The posterior pararenal space is limited medially by the lateral edges of what structures?

Answer 31

Psoas and quadratus lumborum muscles

Question 32

Isolated fluid collections in the posterior pararenal space are rare and commonly caused by what?

Answer 32

Spontaneous haemorrhage into the psoas muscle as a result of anticoagulation therapy

Question 33

The pelvis is divided into three major anatomic compartments. What are those?

Answer 33

Peritoneal cavity, extraperitoneal space, and perineum

Question 34

What cavity extends to the level of the vagina, forming the pouch of Douglas (cul-de-sac) in females, or to the level of the seminal vesicles, forming the rectovesical pouch in males?

Answer 34

Peritoneal cavity

Question 35

This ligament serves as the anterior boundary of the rectouterine pouch of Douglas.

Answer 35

Broad ligaments

Question 36

The broad ligament reflects over what structures?

Answer 36

Uterus, fallopian tubes, and parametrial uterine vessels

Question 37

This space is continuous with the retroperitoneal space of the abdomen, extends to the pelvic diaphragm, and includes the retropubic space.

Answer 37

Extraperitoneal space of the pelvis

Question 38

Another name of the retropubic space?

Answer 38

Space of Retzius (Cave of Retzius)

Question 39

Pathologic processes from the pelvis spread preferentially into what compartment?

Answer 39

Retroperitoneal compartments of the abdomen

Question 40

This compartment lies below the pelvic diaphragm.

Answer 40

Perineum

Question 41

The anatomic landmark of the perineum.

Answer 41

Ischiorectal fossa