Structure/Morphology
Omental appendices are pouches of peritoneum that are filled with fat (Moore, Dalley and Agur, 2013). They’re attached to the external surface of the large intestine, opposite the side that the mesentery arising from the posterior abdominal wall attaches to.
Related parts of the anatomy
Key Features/Anatomical Relations
The appendices are absent or sparse on the cecum and the ascending colon. However, they increase in frequency along the distal colon, particularly on the surface of the sigmoid colon (Standring, 2016). In contrast, the rectum does not have omental appendices. The omental appendices receive vascular supply from the vessels that enter the wall of the colon.
References
Moore, K. L., Dalley, A. F. and Agur, A. M. R. (2013) Clinically Oriented Anatomy. Clinically Oriented Anatomy 7th edn.: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Standring, S. (2016) Gray's Anatomy: The Anatomical Basis of Clinical Practice. Gray's Anatomy Series 41st edn.: Elsevier Limited.
Learn more about this topic from other Elsevier products
Epiploic Appendix
Acute epiploic appendagitis is caused by torsion of the epiploic appendices, which are small pouches of fat-filled peritoneum protruding from the serosal surface of the colon.
