Peritoneal Cavity

Question 1

What are the two layers of the peritoneum and which is inner and which is outer?

Answer 1

Parietal (outer) and Visceral (inner)

Question 2

Where are the two layers of the peritoneum continuous?

Answer 2

At the mesentery

Question 3

What kinds of things run through mesentery?

Answer 3

Arteries, veins, lymphatics, nerves

Question 4

An otherwise healthy individual presenting in severe abdominal pain is likely to be what condition and what is the cause related to?

Answer 4

Acute abdomen. Related to the innervation of the peritoneum

Question 5

What is the innervation of the parietal and visceral peritoneum respectively?

Answer 5

Parietal - Somatic innervation, Visceral - Autonomic innervation

Question 6

What type of pain stimulus does the visceral peritoneum respond to?

Answer 6

Stretching

Question 7

A patient has appendicitis first aggravating the visceral peritoneum, then eventually the parietal peritoneum. What type of pain will the patient feel first (during visceral aggravation) and what type later (during parietal aggravation)?

Answer 7

Diffuse pain in areas such as umbilicus during visceral, Severe localized pain over the appendix during parietal

Question 8

Referred shoulder pain may result from aggravation of what abdominal organ and through what nerve is this transmitted?

Answer 8

The peritoneal surface of the diaphragm becoming inflammed or aggravated may be transmitted through the phrenic nerve (C3,4,5) and perceived as shoulder pain

Question 9

In males and females respectively, is the peritoneal cavity completely closed?

Answer 9

Yes in males, no in females

Question 10

What structure has openings into the peritoneal cavity?

Answer 10

The uterine tubes

Question 11

Ascites

Answer 11

Excessive fluid in the peritoneum

Question 12

What does the peritoneal cavity develop from?

Answer 12

The intraembryonic coelom

Question 13

Three mesenteries

Answer 13

Mesentery of small intestine, Transverse mesocolon, Sigmoid mesocolon

Question 14

What does it mean if an organ is secondarily retroperitoneal?

Answer 14

The organ had a mesentary (was intraperitoneal) but lost it

Question 15

Three organs that are secondarily retroperitoneal

Answer 15

Duodenum, ascending colon, descending colon

Question 16

What are the two peritoneal sacs, what is the alternate name for one of them, and what is the space between them?

Answer 16

Greater peritoneal sac, Lesser peritoneal sac (omental bursa). They are separated by omental foramen

Question 17

What are the four borders of the omental foramen and which border is each?

Answer 17

IVC (posterior), Hepatoduodenal ligament (Anterior), Liver (superior), Duodenum (inferior)

Question 18

What does the greater omentum do?

Answer 18

It is the policeman of the abdomen, responding to chemical signals and moving from one side to the other

Question 19

What two structures does the falciform ligament run between?

Answer 19

Umbilicus and liver

Question 20

What are the two parts of the lesser omentum and which is on which side?

Answer 20

Hepatogastric ligament (left part between liver and lesser curvature), Hepatoduodenal ligament (right side)

Question 21

The three peritoneal folds

Answer 21

Lateral umbilical fold, medial umbilical fold, median umbilical fold

Question 22

The supracolic compartment is above what structure?

Answer 22

The transverse mesocolon

Question 23

What separates the right and left infracolic spaces?

Answer 23

The root of mesentery of the small intestine

Question 24

Paracolic gutters

Answer 24

Allow communication between supracolic and infracolic regions

Question 25

Give the spaces within which ascitic fluid, pus, and tumor cells might move between supracolic and infracolic spaces when erect and supine respectively

Answer 25

Paracolic gutters (erect) and Subphrenic recess (supine)

Question 26

What is the most dependent region of the standing female pelvis and what does this mean?

Answer 26

The rectouterine pouch. It means fluid will gravitate here