Omental foramen
part of the human abdomen
In human anatomy, the omental foramen (epiploic foramen, foramen of Winslow after the anatomist Jacob B. Winslow, or uncommonly aditus; Latin: Foramen epiploicum) is the passage of communication, or foramen, between the greater sac, and the lesser sac of the peritoneal cavity.
Borders
It has the following borders:
anterior: the free border of the lesser omentum, known as the hepatoduodenal ligament. This has two layers and within these layers are the common bile duct, hepatic artery, and hepatic portal vein.
posterior: the peritoneum covering the inferior vena cava
superior: the peritoneum covering the caudate lobe of the liver
inferior: the peritoneum covering the commencement of the duodenum and the hepatic artery, the latter passing forward below the foramen before ascending between the two layers of the lesser omentum.
left lateral: gastrosplenic ligament and splenorenal ligament
As the portal vein is the most posterior structure in the hepatoduodenal ligament, and the inferior vena cava lies under the posterior wall, the epiploic foramen can be remembered as lying between the two great veins of the abdomen.
Additional images
See also
Terms for anatomical location
Omental bursa (Lesser sac)
Greater sac
Lesser omentum
Greater omentum
Peritoneum
References
This article incorporates text in the public domain from page 1156 of the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)
External links
"Omental foramen". Medcyclopaedia. GE.
"Anatomy photo:37:08-0100". SUNY Downstate Medical Center. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016.
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