peritoneal cavity

The topic peritoneal cavity is discussed in the following articles:


  • TITLE: ascites (pathology)
    accumulation of fluid in the peritoneal cavity, between the membrane lining the abdominal wall and the membrane covering the abdominal organs. The most common causes of ascites are cirrhosis of the liver, heart failure, tumours of the peritoneal membranes, and escape of chyle (lymph laden with emulsified fats) into the peritoneal cavity. In patients having liver disease, the onset of ascites is...


  • TITLE: prenatal development (physiology)
    SECTION: Coelom
    ...body folds off, its coelom becomes a single closed cavity. In it can be recognized, regionally, a provisional pericardial cavity (cavity for the heart), two pleural canals (for the lungs), and a peritoneal cavity (for the abdominal contents). A thick plate of mesoderm, the transverse septum, constitutes a partial partition just ahead of the developing liver. Two pairs of membranes grow out...