Omental foramen

In human anatomy, the omental foramen (Epiploic foramen, foramen of Winslow, or uncommonly aditus. Lat: Foramen epiploicum), is the passage of communication, or foramen, between the greater sac (general cavity (of the abdomen)), and the lesser sac.

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

Additional images

See also

• Terms for anatomical location

References

External links

• foramen.aspx ii/f/omental foramen article at GE's Medcyclopaedia
• SUNY Labs 37:08-0100 - "Abdominal Cavity: The Omental Foramen"
• SUNY Anatomy Image 7826
• SUNY Anatomy Image 7831
• SUNY Anatomy Image 7875
• peritoneum at The Anatomy Lesson by Wesley Norman (Georgetown University)
• abdominalcavity at The Anatomy Lesson by Wesley Norman (Georgetown University) (xsectthrulesseromentum)

This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained within it may be outdated.