human anatomy Human anatomy (gr. ἀνατομία, "dissection", from ἀνά, "up", and τέμνειν, "cut") is primarily the scientific study of the morphology of the human body. Anatomy is subdivided into gross anatomy and microscopic anatomy. Gross ...

, the omental foramen (epiploic foramen, foramen of Winslow after the anatomist Jacob B. Winslow, or uncommonly aditus; ) is the passage of communication, or foramen, between the

greater sac In human anatomy, the greater sac, also known as the general cavity (of the abdomen) or peritoneum of the peritoneal cavity proper, is the cavity in the abdomen that is inside the peritoneum but outside the lesser sac. It is connected with the ...

, and the

lesser sac The lesser sac, also known as the omental bursa, is a part of the peritoneal cavity that is formed by the lesser omentum, lesser and greater omentum. Usually found in mammals, it is connected with the greater sac via the omental foramen or ''For ...

of the peritoneal cavity.

Borders

It has the following borders: * ''anterior'': the free border of the

lesser omentum The lesser omentum (small omentum or gastrohepatic omentum) is the double layer of peritoneum that extends from the liver to the lesser curvature of the stomach, and to the first part of the duodenum. The lesser omentum is usually divided into t ...

, known as the hepatoduodenal ligament. This has two layers and within these layers are the

common bile duct The common bile duct (also bile duct) is a part of the biliary tract. It is formed by the union of the common hepatic duct and cystic duct. It ends by uniting with the pancreatic duct to form the ampulla of Vater (hepatopancreatic ampulla). ...

, hepatic artery, and

hepatic portal vein The portal vein or hepatic portal vein (HPV) is a blood vessel that carries blood from the gastrointestinal tract, gallbladder, pancreas and spleen to the liver. This blood contains nutrients and toxins extracted from digested contents. Appro ...

. * ''posterior'': the

peritoneum The peritoneum is the serous membrane forming the lining of the abdominal cavity or coelom in amniotes and some invertebrates, such as annelids. It covers most of the intra-abdominal (or coelomic) organs, and is composed of a layer of mesotheli ...

covering the

inferior vena cava The inferior vena cava is a large vein that carries the deoxygenated blood from the lower and middle body into the right atrium of the heart. It is formed by the joining of the right and the left common iliac veins, usually at the level of the ...

* ''superior'': the peritoneum covering the caudate lobe of the

liver The liver is a major metabolic organ (anatomy), organ exclusively found in vertebrates, which performs many essential biological Function (biology), functions such as detoxification of the organism, and the Protein biosynthesis, synthesis of var ...

* ''inferior'': the peritoneum covering the commencement of the

duodenum The duodenum is the first section of the small intestine in most vertebrates, including mammals, reptiles, and birds. In mammals, it may be the principal site for iron absorption. The duodenum precedes the jejunum and ileum and is the shortest p ...

and the hepatic artery, the latter passing forward below the foramen before ascending between the two layers of the lesser omentum. * ''left lateral'': gastrosplenic ligament and splenorenal ligament As the portal vein is the most posterior structure in the hepatoduodenal ligament, and the inferior vena cava lies under the posterior wall, the epiploic foramen can be remembered as lying between the two great veins of the abdomen.

Additional images

File:Gray1035.png , Vertical disposition of the

Main cavity In human anatomy, the greater sac, also known as the general cavity (of the abdomen) or peritoneum of the peritoneal cavity proper, is the cavity in the abdomen that is inside the peritoneum but outside the lesser sac. It is connected with the l ...

, red;

omental bursa The lesser sac, also known as the omental bursa, is a part of the peritoneal cavity that is formed by the lesser and greater omentum. Usually found in mammals, it is connected with the greater sac via the omental foramen or ''Foramen of Wins ...

, blue. (Bristle in omental foramen labeled at upper left.) File:Gray1040.png, Diagram to show the lines along which the peritoneum leaves the wall of the abdomen to invest the viscera. File:Slide5ddd.JPG, Epiploic foramen

References

External links

* * – "Abdominal Cavity: The Omental Foramen" * * * * * () {{Authority control General surgery Abdomen Medical mnemonics

Borders

Additional images

See also

References

External links