Surgical anatomy

The peritoneum is a continuous membrane which lines the abdominal cavity and covers the abdominal organs (abdominal viscera).

Parts

Parietal Peritoneum, lines the internal surface of the abdominopelvic wall. It receives the same somatic nerve supply as the region of the abdominal wall that it lines making the pain from the parietal peritoneum to be well localised. It is sensitive to pressure, pain, laceration and temperature.

Visceral peritoneum, invaginates to cover the majority of the abdominal viscera. It has the same autonomic nerve supply as the viscera it covers. Unlike the parietal peritoneum, pain from the visceral peritoneum is poorly localised and the visceral peritoneum is only sensitive to stretch and chemical irritation. Pain from the visceral peritoneum is referred to areas of skin (dermatomes) which are supplied by the same sensory ganglia and spinal cord segments as the nerve fibres innervating the viscera.

Peritoneal cavity

It is a potential space between the parietal and visceral peritoneum containing a small amount of lubricating fluid (Peritoneal fluid).