The infracolic compartment is divided into right and left spaces by which of the following structures:
The peritoneal cavity is divided into the greater sac and the omental bursa (lesser sac).
Structure | Key anatomy |
---|---|
Peritoneal cavity | Divided into greater and lesser sacs |
Greater sac | Divided into supracolic and infracolic compartments by transverse mesocolon, compartments connected by paracolic gutters |
Supracolic compartment | Contains stomach, liver and spleen, lies under cover of costal limits of thoracic cage |
Infracolic compartment | Divided into left and right parts by oblique attachment of mesentery, contains small intestine and ascending/descending colon, continuous with pelvic cavity |
Lesser sac (omental bursa | Lies posterior to stomach and liver and anterior to pancreas, continuous with greater sac through epiploic foramen |
Greater omentum | Descends from greater curvature of stomach and first part of duodenum, drapes inferiorly over transverse colon, jejunum and ileum, folds back up and ascends to adhere to transverse colon/mesocolon before arriving at posterior abdominal wall |
Lesser omentum | Extends from lesser curvature of stomach and first part of duodenum to inferior surface of liver |
Mesentery | Connects jejunum and ileus to posterior abdominal wall, attaches superiorly to duodenojejunal junction and passes oblique downwards and to the right to end at ileocecal junction |
Transverse mesocolon | Connects transverse colon to posterior abdominal wall, leaves posterior abdominal wall across anterior surface of head and body of pancreas and passes outwards to surround transverse colon |
Sigmoid mesocolon | Connects sigmoid colon to abdominal wall, V-shaped fold with apex near division of left common iliac artery, left limb descending along medial border of left psoas major muscle and right limb descending into pelvis to end at vertebral level S3 |
The greater sac accounts for most of the space in the peritoneal cavity, beginning superiorly at the diaphragm and continuing inferiorly in the pelvic cavity. It is further divided into two compartments by the transverse mesocolon:
The supracolic and infracolic compartments are connected by the paracolic gutters which lie between the posterolateral abdominal wall and the lateral aspect of the ascending or descending colon.
The supracolic space can be arbitrarily divided into right and left supracolic spaces and subspaces.
The left supracolic space has two subspaces:
The right supracolic space has three subspaces:
The omental bursa (lesser sac) is a smaller subdivision of the peritoneal cavity posterior to the stomach and liver and anterior to the pancreas, and is continuous with the greater sac through the epiploic foramen.
Peritoneal Cavity. (Image modified by FRCEM Success. Original by Henry Vandyke Carter [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons)
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Biochemistry | Normal Value |
---|---|
Sodium | 135 – 145 mmol/l |
Potassium | 3.0 – 4.5 mmol/l |
Urea | 2.5 – 7.5 mmol/l |
Glucose | 3.5 – 5.0 mmol/l |
Creatinine | 35 – 135 μmol/l |
Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT) | 5 – 35 U/l |
Gamma-glutamyl Transferase (GGT) | < 65 U/l |
Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP) | 30 – 135 U/l |
Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST) | < 40 U/l |
Total Protein | 60 – 80 g/l |
Albumin | 35 – 50 g/l |
Globulin | 2.4 – 3.5 g/dl |
Amylase | < 70 U/l |
Total Bilirubin | 3 – 17 μmol/l |
Calcium | 2.1 – 2.5 mmol/l |
Chloride | 95 – 105 mmol/l |
Phosphate | 0.8 – 1.4 mmol/l |
Haematology | Normal Value |
---|---|
Haemoglobin | 11.5 – 16.6 g/dl |
White Blood Cells | 4.0 – 11.0 x 109/l |
Platelets | 150 – 450 x 109/l |
MCV | 80 – 96 fl |
MCHC | 32 – 36 g/dl |
Neutrophils | 2.0 – 7.5 x 109/l |
Lymphocytes | 1.5 – 4.0 x 109/l |
Monocytes | 0.3 – 1.0 x 109/l |
Eosinophils | 0.1 – 0.5 x 109/l |
Basophils | < 0.2 x 109/l |
Reticulocytes | < 2% |
Haematocrit | 0.35 – 0.49 |
Red Cell Distribution Width | 11 – 15% |
Blood Gases | Normal Value |
---|---|
pH | 7.35 – 7.45 |
pO2 | 11 – 14 kPa |
pCO2 | 4.5 – 6.0 kPa |
Base Excess | -2 – +2 mmol/l |
Bicarbonate | 24 – 30 mmol/l |
Lactate | < 2 mmol/l |