Editing Peritoneum (section)

==Clinical significance==

===Imaging assessment===
CT scan is a fast (15 seconds) and efficient way in visualising the peritoneal spaces. Although ultrasound is good at visualizing peritoneal collections and ascites, without ionising radiation, it does not provide a good overall assessment of all the peritoneal cavities. MRI scan is also increasingly used to visualise peritoneal diseases, but requires long scan time (30 to 45 minutes) and prone to motion artifacts due to respiration and peristalsis and chemical shift artifacts at the bowel-mesentery interface. Those with peritoneal carcinomatosis, acute pancreatitis, and intraabdominal sepsis may not tolerate prolonged MRI scan.<ref name="Tirkes 2012">{{Cite journal |last1=Tirkes |first1=Temel |last2=Sandrasegaran |first2=Kumaresan |last3=Patel |first3=Aashish A. |last4=Hollar |first4=Margaret A. |last5=Tejada |first5=Juan G. |last6=Tann |first6=Mark |last7=Akisik |first7=Fatih M. |last8=Lappas |first8=John C. |date=March 2012 |title=Peritoneal and Retroperitoneal Anatomy and Its Relevance for Cross-Sectional Imaging |url=http://pubs.rsna.org/doi/10.1148/rg.322115032 |journal=RadioGraphics |language=en |volume=32 |issue=2 |pages=437–451 |doi=10.1148/rg.322115032 |pmid=22411941 |issn=0271-5333}}</ref>

===Peritoneal dialysis===
{{Main|Peritoneal dialysis}}
In one form of [[Kidney dialysis|dialysis]], called '''[[peritoneal dialysis]]''', a glucose solution is sent through a tube into the peritoneal cavity. The fluid is left there for a prescribed amount of time to absorb waste products, and then removed through the tube. The reason for this effect is the high number of arteries and veins in the peritoneal cavity. Through the mechanism of [[diffusion]], waste products are removed from the blood.

===Peritonitis===
{{main|Peritonitis}}
Peritonitis is the [[inflammation]] of the peritoneum. It is more commonly associated to infection from a punctured organ of the abdominal cavity. It can also be provoked by the presence of fluids that produce chemical irritation, such as [[gastric acid]] or [[pancreatic juice]]. Peritonitis causes fever, tenderness, and pain in the abdominal area, which can be localized or diffuse. The treatment involves rehydration, administration of antibiotics, and surgical correction of the underlying cause. Mortality is higher in the elderly and if present for a prolonged time.<ref name="harrison's">{{cite book | vauthors = Longo D, Fauci A, Kasper D, Hauser S, Jameson J, Loscalzo J |title=Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine |date=2012 |publisher=McGraw-Hill |location=New York |isbn=978-0-07-174889-6 |edition=18th | pages=2518–2519}}</ref>

===Primary peritoneal carcinoma===
{{main|Primary peritoneal carcinoma}}
Primary peritoneal cancer is a cancer of the cells lining the peritoneum.