Epiploic foramen
Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
At the time the article was created Jeremy Jones had no recorded disclosures.
View Jeremy Jones's current disclosuresAt the time the article was last revised Mohd Ashyiraff Ilani Bin Ismail had no financial relationships to ineligible companies to disclose.
View Mohd Ashyiraff Ilani Bin Ismail's current disclosures- Foramen of Winslow
The epiploic foramen, also called the foramen of Winslow, is a small vertical passage between the greater sac (peritoneal cavity proper) and the lesser sac (omental bursa), allowing communication between these two spaces.
The foramen is eloquently described as the opening to the lesser sac located "between the two great veins of the abdomen (portal vein and inferior vena cava)" 3.
Gross anatomy
Boundaries
anterior: the free edge of the lesser omentum (hepatoduodenal ligament) which contains the common bile duct, hepatic artery proper, and portal vein between its two layers
posterior: peritoneum covering the inferior vena cava
superior: peritoneum covering the lower margin of caudate lobe of the liver
inferior: peritoneum covering the commencement of the duodenum (D1) and the hepatic artery proper, the latter passing forward below the foramen before ascending between the two layers of the lesser omentum
Related pathology
References
- 1. Gray H. Anatomy of the Human Body. Bartleby.com. (2000) ISBN:1587341026. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
- 2. Cimmino CV. Lesser sac hernia via the foramen of Winslow; a case report. Radiology. 1953;60 (1): 57-9. doi:10.1148/60.1.57 - Pubmed citation
- 3. Robert M. H. McMinn. Last's Anatomy. (2019) ISBN: 9780729543576 - Google Books
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