Where is visceral peritoneum located

The lesser sac is divided into two omenta: the gastrohepatic and the gastrocolic. The gastrohepatic omentum is attached to the lesser curvature of the stomach and the liver. The gastrocolic omentum hangs from the greater curve of the stomach and loops down in front of the intestines before curving upwards to attach to the transverse colon.

Like a curtain of tissue, it is draped in front of the intestines to insulate and protect them. Substructures of the peritoneum : This is a midsagittal, cross-section drawing of the epiploic foramen, the greater sac or general cavity red , and the lesser sac or omental bursa blue. The structures in the abdomen are classified as intraperitoneal, retroperitoneal, or infraperitoneal depending on whether they are covered with visceral peritoneum and are attached by mesenteries, such as the mensentery and mesocolon.

Intraperitoneal organs include the stomach, the first five centimeters and the fourth part of the the duodenum, the jejunum, the ileum, the cecum, the appendix, the transverse colon, the sigmoid colon, and the upper third of the rectum. Other organs located in the intraperitoneal space are the liver, spleen, and the tail of the pancreas.

In women, the uterus, fallopian tubes, ovaries, and gonadal blood vessels are located in the intraperitoneum. Retroperitoneal structures include the rest of the duodenum, the ascending colon, the descending colon, the middle third of the rectum, and the remainder of the pancreas.

Other organs located in the retroperitoneal space are the kidneys, adrenal glands, proximal ureters, and renal vessels. Organs located below the peritoneum in the subperitoneal space include the lower third of the rectum and the urinary bladder. Structures that are intraperitoneal are generally mobile, while those that are retroperitoneal are relatively fixed in their location.

Some structures, such as the kidneys, are primarily retroperitoneal, while others such as the majority of the duodenum, are secondarily retroperitoneal, meaning that structure developed intraperitoneally, but lost its mesentery and thus became retroperitoneal. Peritoneum : The peritoneum illustrated, indicated by blue. Privacy Policy. Skip to main content. Managing Cancer Care. Finding Health Care Services. Advance Directives. Using Trusted Resources. Coronavirus Information for Patients.

Clinical Trials during Coronavirus. Adolescents and Young Adults with Cancer. Emotional Support for Young People with Cancer. Cancers by Body Location. Late Effects of Childhood Cancer Treatment. Pediatric Supportive Care.

Rare Cancers of Childhood Treatment. Childhood Cancer Genomics. Study Findings. Metastatic Cancer Research. Intramural Research. Extramural Research. Cancer Research Workforce. Partners in Cancer Research. What Are Cancer Research Studies. Research Studies. Get Involved. Cancer Biology Research. Cancer Genomics Research. Research on Causes of Cancer. Cancer Prevention Research. Cancer Treatment Research. Cancer Health Disparities. Childhood Cancers Research. Global Cancer Research. Cancer Research Infrastructure.

Clinical Trials. Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research. Bioinformatics, Big Data, and Cancer. Annual Report to the Nation. Research Advances by Cancer Type. Stories of Discovery. Milestones in Cancer Research and Discovery. Biomedical Citizen Science. Director's Message.

Budget Proposal. Stories of Cancer Research. As seen in the diagram to the right, the intestines are, in essence, suspended from the dorsal aspect of the peritoneal cavity by a fused, double layer of parietal peritoneum called mesentery.

In come cases, parietal and visceral peritoneum are also continuous along the ventral abdomen, where they are called ventral mesentery. Some organs protrude into the abdominal cavity, but are not encased in visceral peritoneum. The kidneys lay in this type of position and are said to in a retroperitoneal location. The term mesentery tends to be used as a generic term describing peritoneal extensions not only from the intestine as - entery implies , but from all abdominal and pelvic organs.