ABDOMINAL CAVITY 



525 



the fashion of a helmet, and are prolonged downwards for 

 a short distance upon its anterior surface and its medial 

 border. The suprarenal glands lie in the epigastric region, 

 and rest upon the diaphragm. 



The Eight Suprarenal Gland is, as a rule, triangular in 

 form, and rests, by its base, upon the anterior and medial 

 aspect of the upper end of the right kidney. It is placed 

 between the posterior surface of the right lobe of the liver 

 and that portion of the diaphragm which covers the side of 

 the spine. 



The anterior surface, which looks laterally as well as 

 forwards, presents two impressions (i) The one is a narrow 

 flattened strip, adjoining the 

 anterior border of the gland, 

 which is overlapped by the 

 inferior vena cava; (2) the 

 second impression comprises 

 the remainder of the anterior 

 surface, and is in contact 

 with the liver. Only a small 

 and variable part of the lower 

 portion of the anterior surface 

 of the right suprarenal gland 

 is covered by peritoneum. 

 On the upper part of the 

 impression for the vena cava, 

 not far from the apex of the 

 gland, a short fissure termed 

 the hilus may be observed, 

 vein which immediately enters the inferior vena cava. The 

 posterior surface of the right suprarenal gland is divided by a 

 salient curved ridge into an upper flat part, which is applied 

 to the diaphragm, and a concave lower part, which is 

 occupied with fat and rests upon the kidney. 



The Left Suprarenal Gland is semilunar in form, and, as 

 a rule, is slightly larger than the right. Its position on 

 the kidney is also somewhat different. It is usually placed 

 on its medial border immediately above the hilus. The 

 anterior surface presents, not far from its lower end, a very 

 obvious hilus with a large emerging vein. The greater part 

 of this surface is separated from the posterior-inferior surface 

 of the stomach by the posterior wall and the cavity of the 



Suprarenal veil 



FIG. 203. Anterior Surface of Left 

 Suprarenal Gland. 



From this issues a short wide 



