ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews the embryology and anatomy of the peritoneal cavity. The parietal and visceral layers of the peritoneum are in contact; the potential space between them is called the peritoneal cavity and is a part of the embryologic abdominal cavity or primitive coelomic duct. An appreciation of the embryologic development of the peritoneal cavity is crucial to understanding the anatomy and determining the cause and extent of peritoneal dissemination in gynecological and gastrointestinal cancers. The space between the parietal and visceral peritoneums is named the peritoneal cavity. The peritoneal cavity is a complex structure consisting of ligaments, the greater and lesser omentum, as well as the mesenteries and several peritoneal folds. The peritoneal cavity is divided into two main compartments by the transverse colon and its mesentery that connects the colon to the posterior abdominal wall: the supramesocolic compartment and the inframesocolic compartment.
