The Peritoneum And Retroperitoneum Flashcards
What is the peritoneal cavity?
Potential space and numerous peritoneal folds between the parietal peritoneum and the visceral peritoneum. This includes a sterile space extending from abdomen to pelvis
What are some differences in peritoneal cavity between male and females?
The cavity is closed in males and open in females
How much serous fluid is in the peritoneal cavity?
Small amount
What is the function of the peritoneum?
- Lubricated membrane that wards off infection (serous membrane)
- Supports the layer that anchors structures that limits mobility
What are the two layers of the peritoneum?
- Parietal
- Covers abdominal and pelvic walls
- Visceral
- Covers solid and hollow viscera
What are intraperitoneal organs?
- Liver (except bare area)
- Gallbladder
- Spleen
- Stomach
- Ovaries
- 1st part of duodenum
- Transverse colon
What are the two peritoneal folds?
- Mesenteries
- Omentum
What are the mesenteries?
Peritoneal folds connecting small and large bowel to the posterior abdominal wall
What does the mesenteries do?
- Supports vessels, lymph and nerves
- Prevents twisting
What is included in the mesenteries?
- Mesentery
- Mesocolons
How is the mesentery shaped?
Double layer fold which is large and fan shaped
What does the mesentery enclose?
Jejunum and lieum
Where does the mesentery connect?
Connects above bowel to posterior abdominal wall
What is the mesocolon?
Peritoneum attached to the colon
What are the two types of mesocolon?
- Transverse mesocolon
- Sigmoid mesocolon
What is the transverse mesocolon?
Connects transverse colon to posterior abdominal wall
What is the sigmoid mesocolon?
Attaches the sigmoid to posterior abdominal wall
What is the omentum?
Double layer of peritoneum, which extends from the stomach to intraabdominal sites
What are the two folds of the omentum?
- Greater Omentum
- Lesser omentum
What is the greater Omentum?
Apron like fold which connects the greater curvature of stomach and transverse colon.
Where is the greater omentum positioned in cavity?
From stomach it drapes Inferiorly and anterior over transverse colon and intestine. Then it turns posterior on itself, then superior to attach at the transverse colon
What is the lesser omentum?
Double layer of peritoneum that connects lesser curvature of stomach and 1st part of duodenum to the visceral surface of liver
What is the peritoneal sacs?
Large potential spaces
What are the two potential peritoneal sacs?
- Greater sac
- Lesser sac (smaller spaces associated with each major sac)
What is the greater sac?
Amounts for most space in peritoneal cavity which extends from the diaphragm to pelvis which is the width of abdomen/pelvis
What does the greater sac communicates with?
Lesser sac in epigastric region
Where is the greater sac located?
- Anterior to lesser sac superiorly
- Posterior to lesser sac Inferiorly
- Surrounds small bowel Inferiorly
- Superior to pelvic structures
What is the lesser sac?
Communicates with greater sac, Another name is Omental bursa
What is the location of the lesser sacs?
- Posterior to stomach**
- Anterior to pancreas **
- Posterior and inferior to liver
- anterior to transverse colon
- Anterior to left kidney
- Extends to splenic hilum
What are the openings between sacs known as?
- Neck
- Epiploic foremen
- Foremen of Winslow
- Omental foramen
Where are the openings between sacs?
Portal triad at porta hepatic aligns with anterior margin of opening
What are the compartments of peritoneal?
- Supracolic
- Infracolic
What are the two categories of the supracolic?
- Subphrenic
- Subhepatic
What is the categories of the infracolic?
- Paracolic gutters
- Pelvic reflections
Where is the subphrenic located?
Between diaphragm and anterior and superior diaphragmatic surface of liver.
What does the falciform ligament do for the subphrenic?
Boundary for right and left spaces
Where is the subhepatic located?
Inferior to visceral surface of the liver.
What is the subhepatic categorized into?
- Right: Contains morison’s pouch
- Left: Anterior to antrum of stomach
What is Morison’s pouch?
Right posterior subhepatic space
Where is Morison’s pouch located?
Anterior to RK and posterior to RLL and is the most dependent part of the subhepatic space
What are the two spaces of the infracolic compartment?
- Right paracolic gutter
- Left paracolic gutter
What is the right paracolic gutter?
Space between ascending colon and right lateral abdominal wall
What is the left paracolic gutter?
Space between descending colon and left lateral abdominal wall
What is the retroperitoneum?
Structures located posterior to the peritoneal cavity, which is anchored to the posterior wall, and lined anteriorly by peritoneum.
How much mobility does the retroperitoneum have?
Limited
What are structures in the retroperitoneal structures?
- Kidneys
- Ureters
- Adrenals
- Pancreas (except a small portion of the tail)
- Duodenum (2, 3, 4 parts)
- Aorta and IVC
- ascending/ descending colon
What are the boundaries of the retroperitoneum?
- Posterior to peritoneal cavities
- Anterior to transversalis fascia
Extends from diaphragm to pelvic brim
What are potential spaces of the retroperitoneal?
- Anterior pararenal space
- Posterior pararenal space
- Perirenal space
Where is the anterior pararenal space located?
Immediately posterior to peritoneum and between parietal peritoneum of the posterior cavity and the anterior renal fascia which crosses midline.
What does the anterior pararenal space contain?
- Ascending and descending colon
- 2nd, 3rd, 4th part of duodenum
- Head and body of pancreas
What is the perirenal space?
Area enclosed by renal fascia that contains perirenal fat
What does the perirenal space surround?
Kidneys and adrenal glands, also lymph nodes and blood vessels
Where is the posterior pararenal space?
Posterior to renal fascia, between posterior renal fascia and transversalis fascia of abdominal wall. No solid organs and little fat
