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peritoneum |
Also found in: Dictionary/thesaurus, Medical, Wikipedia, Hutchinson | 0.06 sec. |
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peritoneum (pĕrətənē`əm), multilayered membrane which lines the abdominal cavity, and supports and covers the organs within it. The part of the membrane that lines the abdominal cavity is called the parietal peritoneum. The portion that covers the internal organs, or viscera, is known as the visceral peritoneum and forms the outer layer (serosa) of most of the intestinal tract. The supportive peritoneum forms sheets of greatly modified membranes called mesenteries. These tissues hold the organs of the digestive tract in position and convey nerves, blood vessels, and lymphatic ducts to the viscera. The space between the visceral and parietal membranes contains a watery fluid that permits the abdominal organs to slide freely against the abdominal wall. A ruptured appendix can lead to inflammation of the peritoneum, a condition known as peritonitis. |
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? Mentioned in | ? References in periodicals archive | |
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A total of 250 sites of extrapulmonary disease were identified in the 239 patients, representing 26 distinct anatomic locations of disease; several patients had disease in multiple sites: lymph nodes (50%), pleura (9%), peritoneum (8%), skin or soft tissue (8%), central nervous system (6%), bones or joints (4%), various organs (miliary) (4%), urogenital tract (2%), and other sites (9%). Most of these tumors arise from the pleura, but they have also been reported in extrapleural sites such as the lung, mediastinum, pericardium, peritoneum, meninges, and the head and neck. A patient with post-operative mercury contamination of the peritoneum. |
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