ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the development and anatomy of the mesentery and peritoneum. It details the surgical conditions of the peritoneum, mesentery, greater omentum and retroperitoneal space. The peritoneal cavity is the largest cavity in the body, the surface area of its lining membrane being nearly equal to that of the skin. Peritonitis is inflammation of the peritoneum and can be categorised as localised or diffuse, acute or chronic or according to the primary underlying pathology. The arterial supply and venous and lymphatic drainage of each digestive organ are located in the mesentery. Thus diseases of individual organs can have significant effects on the adjoining mesentery and its components. The greater omentum corresponds to the anterior wall of the upper region of the mesentery. Rutherford Morison called the greater omentum ‘the abdominal policeman’. The non-mesenteric domain is posterior to the mesenteric domain. The space between both is termed the retroperitoneal space.
