Duodenum, Pancreas, and Spleen Flashcards
What are some characteristics of the small intestine?
- It is the longest part of the GI tract
- It extends from the pyloric orifice of the stomach to the ileocecal valve
- Hollow tube 6-7 meters long with the diameter narrowing from beginning to end
- Tube is divided into 3 parts
What are the 3 parts of the small intestine?
Duodenum, jejunum, and ileum
Where does the duodenum begin and end?
It is the first part of the small intestine and begins at the pylorus and ends at the duodenojejunal junction
What are some characteristics of the duodenum?
- C-shaped course from the pylorus around the head and neck of the pancreas
- Eventually continuous with the jejunum
- ~25 cm long
- The shortest, widest, most fixed part of the small intestine
What is a function of the duodenum?
Collects bile and pancreatic fluid via their ducts so it participates in digestion
The duodenum is divided into 4 parts:
- Superior
- Descending
- Horizontal
- Ascending
What parts of the duodenum are retroperitoneal?
All parts except the initial part and the tail
Describe the location of the superior part of the duodenum:
It is anterolateral to the body of L1 at the right side. It is ~5cm long and is divided into proximal and distal regions
What is significant about the superior part of the duodenum?
It is the most movable part of the duodenum and it receives stomach contents so it is exposed to high acidity
Describe the proximal part of the superior part of duodenum:
- Has a smooth luminal surface - ampulla or duodenal cap or bulb
- Proximal half of duodenum has mesentery and is mobile
- Greater omentum and hepatoduodenal ligaments are attached to this part of the duodenum (hence it moves with the stomach)
- Most duodenal ulcers occur in this area since it receives acidic contents from stomach
Describe the distal part of the superior part of duodenum:
- Has corrugated luminal surface
- Has no mesentery
- Immobile
- Retroperitoneal and fixed to the posterior abdominal wall
What lies anterior to the superior part of the duodenum?
- Peritoneum
- Gall bladder
- Quadrate lobe of liver
What lies posterior to the superior part of the duodenum?
- Bile duct
- Portal vein
- Inferior vena cava
- Gastroduodenal artery
What lies superior to the superior part of the duodenum?
The neck of the gallbladder
What lies inferior to the superior part of the duodenum?
The neck of the pancreas
Describe the descending part of the duodenum:
- About 7.5 cm long
- Has no mesentery
- It descends retroperitoneally along the right sides of L1-L3, passing to the right and parallel to the IVC
What enters the descending part of the duodenum?
The bile duct and main pancreatic duct enter the posteromedial wall of the descending part of the duodenum, about 2/3 along its length.
The bile duct and main pancreatic duct unite to form:
The hepatopancreatic ampulla, which opens on the major duodenal papilla
What is the opening of the ampulla surrounded by and what is the function?
Surrounded by the sphincter of the hepatopancreatic ampulla which is capable of regulating bile and pancreatic fluid flow in the duodenum (but in some people, the bile and pancreatic ducts do not join but open separately in the major duodenal papilla)
What is anterior to the descending part of the duodenum?
- Transverse colon
- Transvere mesocolon
- Some coils of the small intestine
What is posterior to the descending part of the duodenum?
- Hilus of right kidney
- Renal vessels
- Ureter
- Right psoas major muscle
What is medial to the descending part of the duodenum?
- Head of pancreas
- Pancreatic duct
- Bile duct
Describe the horizontal part of the duodenum:
- 10cm long
- Runs horizontally from right to left across L3
- Passes anterior to the inferior vena cava and aorta
- Retroperitoneal and adherent to the posterior abdominal wall
What is anterior to the horizontal part of the duodenum?
- Superior mesenteric vein and artery
2. Coils of the small intestine
What is posterior to the horizontal part of the duodenum?
- Right psoas major
- Inferior vena cava
- Aorta
- Right ureter
What is superior to the horizontal part of the duodenum?
- Head of the pancreas
2. Superior mesenteric vessels
Describe the ascending part of the duodenum:
- 2.5 cm long
- Ascends on the left side of the aorta at the level of L2
- Ascending part bends anteriorly and joins the jejunum at the duodenojejunal flexure
- Most is retroperitoneal
- Immobile, attached to the posterior abdominal wall
Which part of the ascending part of the duodenum is peritoneal?
The distal end, it is movable with the jejunum
What supports the duodenojejunal flexure?
A fibromuscular suspensory muscle (or ligament) or the duodenum arising from the right crus of the diaphragm and attached to the ascending part of the duodenum
What is anterior to the ascending part of the duodenum?
- Beginning of the root of the mesentery
2. Coils of jejunum
What is posterior to the ascending part?
- Left psoas major muscle
2. Left margin of the aorta
What is medial to the ascending part?
- Head of the pancreas
What is superior to the ascending part?
- Body of pancreas
Several peritoneal folds and recesses are related to the duodenum, particularly near the:
Duodenojejunal junction
How are these folds/recesses formed?
When the retroperitoneal duodenum changes to the peritoneal jejunum
What are the 4 recesses formed by the peritoneal folds?
- Superior duodenal fold
- Inferior duodenal fold
- Retroduodenal (between superior and inferior)
- Paraduodenal (carriers the inferior mesentery vein in its fold)