Overview Nausea and vomiting are experienced by almost everyone, and most episodes and causes are self-limited, rarely coming to medical attention. Patients are often aware of the common causes, such as acute viral infections, "traveler's" nausea and diarrhea, or the…
Overview The evaluation of the adult patient with abdominal pain is often challenging for the primary care, emergency physician, or surgeon. While occasional abdominal pain is experienced by almost all adults and is usually self-limited, it can herald serious disorders,…
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Anatomy The abdominal cavity is divided into both intraperitoneal and retroperitoneal spaces. The peritoneal cavity is lined by visceral and parietal peritoneum (a thin mesothelial membrane) and lies within the abdominal cavity, with two potential spaces, the greater and lesser…
The pancreas is an obliquely positioned retroperitoneal organ containing a tail, body, neck, head, and uncinate. It has a main duct (normal measurements, 2 to 3 mm in diameter) running the length of the pancreas from the tail proximally to…
The biliary tree develops embryologically along the course of the portal venous anatomy and is defined proximally by right and left intrahepatic biliary ducts, which join to form the common hepatic duct. A side appendage, the gallbladder, is attached to…
The spleen is part of the mononuclear phagocytic system (formally known as reticuloendothelial) and the largest lymphatic organ. Its red pulp is responsible for red blood cell and platelet metabolism and acts as a monocyte reservation. Its white pulp is…
The liver, as the largest and most complex organ in the abdomen, can present with diverse abnormalities. The most common clinical conundrum is the characterization of single or multiple hepatic lesions, primarily into benign or malignant disease, but there are…
Colon Anatomy The colon starts at the ileocecal valve and is made up anatomically of the cecum; appendix (which is discussed separately below); ascending, transverse, descending, and sigmoid colon; and rectum. The ascending and transverse colon develops along with the…
Anatomy The embryological development of the small bowel (midgut) is complicated, involving herniation into the umbilical cord and a 270-degree counterclockwise rotation before returning to the abdominal cavity. As a result, it is not surprising that there are several congenital…