GI and Peritoneal Cavity Review

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering gastrointestinal anatomy, peritoneal recesses, and ultrasound pathologies from the GI and Peritoneal Cavity Review.

Parietal Peritoneum

The outer layer of the smooth serous membrane that lines the abdominal cavity walls and attaches to the posterior abdominal wall via the mesentery.

Gastroesophageal Junction (Cardiac Orifice)

The entry site where the lower end of the esophagus acts as a sphincter into the stomach; sonographically appears as a target or bull's eye pattern posterior to the left lobe of the liver.

Gastric Carcinoma

Malignancy accounting for 90% to 95% of stomach tumors and the 6th leading cause of death, most prevalent in older men; distributed 50% in the pylorus, 25% in the body, and 25% in the fundus as ulcerated, diffuse, polypoid, or superficial lesions.

Gastric Lymphoma

A primary multifocal tumor of the gastrointestinal tract and the most common GI tract tumor in children under 10; sonographically presents with enlarged thickened mucosal folds, multiple submucosal nodules, ulceration, and a large extraluminal mass.

Keyboard Sign

The sonographic appearance of valvulae conniventes seen as linear echodensities spaced 3 to 5 mm apart in the duodenum and jejunum, characteristically visible during small bowel obstruction.

Acute Appendicitis

Luminal obstruction leading to ischemia, edema, and necrosis of the vermiform appendix; appears on transverse ultrasound as a non-compressible, target-shaped structure with an outer diameter greater than 6 mm, a fluid-filled lumen, thickened wall, and hypervascularity on color Doppler.

Gastric Antrum

The portion of the stomach located anterior to the pancreatic body that appears target- or bull's eye-shaped in sagittal and transverse planes, which expands with visible wall layers and rugae when fluid-filled.

Crohn's Disease

A recurrent granulomatous regional enteritis affecting the terminal ileum, colon, or both; sonographically displays transmural bowel wall thickening, hypervascularity on color Doppler, and dilated bowel loops, clinically causing diarrhea, fever, and right upper quadrant pain.

McBurney's Point

The anatomical surface landmark located at the midpoint of a line drawn from the right anterosuperior iliac spine to the umbilicus, directly overlying the root of the appendix.

Duplication Cyst

An embryologic anomaly usually located on the greater curvature of the stomach that possesses an alimentary epithelial lining, a well-developed muscular wall contiguous with the stomach, and an ultrasound appearance of an anechoic lumen bounded by an inner echogenic rim and outer hypoechoic muscular rim.

Gastric Metastases

Secondary neoplastic spread to the stomach originating most commonly from melanoma, lung cancer, or breast cancer, which colonizes the submucosal layer to produce circumscribed nodules or plaques.

Meckel Diverticulum

A congenital pouchlike herniation through the muscular wall situated on the antemesenteric border of the ileum, approximately 2 feet proximal to the ileocecal valve.

Superior Mesenteric Artery (SMA) Distribution

The intestinal vascular supply extending from halfway down the second part of the duodenum to the distal one-third of the transverse colon.

Inferior Mesenteric Artery (IMA) Distribution

The vascular supply providing blood from the distal one-third of the transverse colon down to the rectum and anal canal.

Descending Duodenum

The second anatomical division of the duodenum that courses along the inferior vena cava down to the level of the L4 vertebra.

Ascending Duodenum

The fourth segment of the duodenum that rises to the right of the aorta to reach the upper border of L2 at the duodenojejunal flexure posterior to the jejunum.

Greater Omentum

An apronlike double fold of peritoneum hanging from the greater curvature of the stomach that fuses with the transverse colon and mesocolon, functioning to adhere to diseased organs and wall off intra-abdominal infections.

Gastrosplenic Ligament

The left lateral extension of the greater omentum connecting the gastric greater curvature to the superior splenic hilum, forming a portion of the left lateral border of the lesser sac.

Splenorenal Ligament

The posterior peritoneal reflection extending from the spleen that forms the posterior portion of the lesser sac's left lateral boundary and separates the lesser sac from the renosplenic recess.

Appendiceal Mucocele

Gross enlargement of the vermiform appendix resulting from the intraluminal accumulation of mucoid substance, presenting asymptomatically, as a right upper quadrant mass, or with appendicitis-like symptoms.

Gastrointestinal Leiomyosarcoma

The most common mesenchymal tumor of the stomach, appearing sonographically as a mass similar to carcinoma and associated with cholelithiasis, peptic ulcer disease, and adenocarcinoma.

Pseudokidney Sign

A sonographic appearance featuring thickened, dilated bowel loops forming circular target or renal-like structures caused by inflammation, obstruction, or neoplasm.

Right Posterior Subphrenic Space

A peritoneal space bounded by coronary ligament attachments that prevent fluid from extending between the bare area of the liver and diaphragm, remaining continuous laterally with the subhepatic space.

Lesser Sac (Omental Bursa)

A peritoneal recess situated posterior to the stomach and anterior to the pancreas that communicates with the greater sac via the epiploic foramen.

Malignant Ascites

Intraperitoneal fluid collections exhibiting fine or coarse internal echoes, loculation, clumping or matting of bowel loops, and irregular thickening of tissue interfaces.

Peritoneal Metastases

Secondary neoplastic seedlings implanted across the peritoneal cavity—originating mainly from the ovaries, stomach, and colon—that produce nodular, sheetlike configurations and efface the peritoneal line.

Morison's Pouch

The superior portion of the right subhepatic (hepatorenal) space situated between the posterior inferior liver margin and the upper pole of the right kidney.

Biloma

An extrahepatic, loculated collection of bile resulting from iatrogenic, traumatic, or spontaneous rupture of the biliary tree; appears sonographically as a crescentic, sharply marginated cystic fluid collection.

Urachal Cyst

A cystic mass arising between the bladder apex and the umbilicus along the median umbilical ligament, caused by incomplete embryonic regression of the urachus.

Lesser Omentum

A double peritoneal fold extending from the liver to the lesser curvature of the stomach, acting as a suspensory sling for the stomach.

Lymphocele

A postsurgical loculated fluid collection arising in the pelvis, retroperitoneum, or recesses secondary to interrupted lymphatic channels; definitively differentiated from other fluid collections by diagnostic aspiration.

Peritoneal Line

A discrete linear echogenicity positioned in the deepest layer of the abdominal wall, deep to which the transversalis fascia and peritoneum separate rectus muscles from abdominal viscera.

Gut Wall Layers (Sonographic)

The five functional acoustic layers of the bowel wall averaging 3 mm distended (5 mm undistended), where odd layers (1 mucosa, 3 muscularis, 5 mesothelium) are echogenic and even layers (2 submucosa, 4 serosa) are hypoechoic.

Gastric Bezoar

A moveable intraluminal mass of congealed ingested material classified by composition into trichobezoars (hairballs), phytobezoars (undigested vegetable fiber such as persimmons), or concretions (inorganic matter such as sand, asphalt, and shellac).

Gastric Polyp

An asymptomatic, small tumor-like mucosal tissue outgrowth projecting into the stomach lumen from the gastric wall.