288 



ABDOMEN 



omental bursa is bounded posteriorly, as already stated, by the 

 peritoneum on the abdominal surface of the crura of the dia- 

 phragm; superiorly, by the reflection of the peritoneum forwards 

 to the posterior surface of the liver; anteriorly, by the peritoneum 

 on the posterior surface of a small subdivision of the posterior 

 aspect of the right lobe of the liver called the caudate lobe (O.T. 

 Spigelian) ; on the left, by the reflection of the posterior layer 

 of the lesser omentum from the margin of the fossa for the 

 ductus venosus to the crura of the diaphragm; and, on the right, 

 by the reflection of the peritoneum from the right cms of the 

 diaphragm to the right lateral margin of the caudate lobe. 

 When the body is recumbent, the recess is the most depen- 

 dent part of the omental bursa. 



The anterior wall of the omental bursa is formed, from 

 above downwards, by the peritoneum on the posterior surface 

 of the caudate lobe of the liver, the lesser omentum, the 

 peritoneum on the posterior surface of the stomach, and by 

 the anterior two layers of the greater omentum. 



The left lateral boundary is formed (i) in the region of 

 the uppermost recess, by the reflection of the peritoneum 

 from the fossa for the ductus venosus to the crura of the 

 diaphragm ; at a lower level, posteriorly, by (2) the lieno-renal 

 ligament, which passes from the left kidney to the spleen (see 

 Fig. 136); and anteriorly by (3) the gastro-splenic ligament, 

 which connects the spleen with the stomach ; and, at a still 

 lower level, by (4) the union of the anterior two layers with the 

 posterior two layers of the greater omentum at the left free 

 border of the omentum (Fig. 137). The splenic artery runs 

 forwards in the left lateral wall, between the layers of the 

 lieno-renal ligament ; and the short gastric branches and 

 the left gastro-epiploic branch of the splenic artery run 

 onwards to the stomach between the layers of the gastro- 

 splenic ligament. 



The right lateral wall is formed, from below upwards, by the 

 union of the anterior two layers with the posterior two layers 

 of the greater omentum at its right free border (Fig. 137); 

 next, by the reflection of the posterior of the anterior two layers 

 backwards from the posterior surface of the first part of the 

 duodenum to the front of the pancreas, where it becomes 

 continuous with the ascending layer of the transverse meso- 

 colon (Fig. 136). Immediately above the duodenum the 

 right boundary is absent and the omental bursa communicates 



