Abstract
The subserous space is a large, anatomically continuous potential space that interconnects the chest, abdomen, and pelvis. The subserous space is formed from areolar and adipose tissue, and contains branches of the vascular, lymphatic, and nervous systems. As such, it provides one large continuous space in which many disease processes can spread between the chest, abdomen, and the pelvis.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Moore KL (2013) The developing human: clinically oriented embryology, Chap 8. In: Body cavities and diaphragm, 9th edn. Philadelphia: Saunders, pp 145–157
Sadler TW (2012) Langman’s medical embryology, Chap 7. In: The gut tube and the body cavities, 12th edn. Baltimore: Wolters Kluwer Health, pp 86–95
Oliphant M, Berne AS, Meyers MA (1999) The subserous thoracoabdominal continuum: embryologic basis and diagnostic imaging of disease spread. Abdom Imaging 24:211–219
Meyers MA (2011) Dynamic radiology of the abdomen, normal and pathologic anatomy, Chap 3. In: Clinical anatomy of the abdomen, 6th edn. New York: Springer, pp 23–40
Brunicardi FC (2010) Schwartz’s principles of surgery, Chap 25. In: Esophagus and diaphragmatic hernia, 9th edn. New York: McGraw-Hill
Skandalakis JE (2004) Skandalakis’ surgical anatomy, Chap 15. In: Stomach. New York: McGraw-Hill
Al-Motabagani MAH (2002) An anatomical study of the phrenoesophageal ligament. J Anat Soc India 51:18–22
Kleinman PK, Brill PW, Whalen JP (1978) Anterior pathway for transdiaphragmatic extension of pneumomediastinum. AJR 131:271–275
Balthazar EJ, Moore SL (1996) CT evaluation of infradiaphragmatic air in patients treated with mechanically assisted ventilation: a potential source of error. AJR 167:731–734
Heller MT, Haarer KA, Thomas E, Thaete F (2012) Acute conditions affecting the perinephric space: imaging anatomy, pathways of disease spread, and differential diagnosis. Emerg Radiol 19:245–254
Shleyfer E, Nevzorov R, Jotkowitz AB, et al. (2006) Urinothorax: an unexpected cause of pleural effusion. Eur J Intern Med 17:300–30210
Garcia-Pachon E, Padilla-Navas I (2004) Urinothorax: case report and review of the literature with emphasis on biochemical diagnosis. Respiration 71:533–536
Ray K, Rattan S, Yohannes T (2003) Urinothorax: unexpected cause of a pleural effusion. Mayo Clin Proc 78:1433–1434
Gore RM, Newmark GM, Thakrar KH, Mehta UK, Berlin JW (2009) Pathways of abdominal tumour spread: the role of the subperitoneal space. Cancer Imaging 9:112–120
Oliphant M, Berne AS, Meyers MA (1996) The subperitoneal space of the abdomen and pelvis: planes of continuity. AJR 167:1433–1439
Pickhardt PJ, Bhalla S (2005) Unusual nonneoplastic peritoneal and subperitoneal conditions: CT findings. Radiographics 25:719–730
Molmenti EP, et al. (1996) Anatomy of the retroperitoneum: observations of the distribution of pathologic fluid collections. Radiology 200(1):95–103
Osman S, Lehnert BE, Elojeimy S, et al. (2013) A comprehensive review of the retroperitoneal anatomy, neoplasms, and pattern of disease spread. Curr Probl Diagn Radiol 42:191–208
Thornton FJ, Kandiah SS, Monkhouse WS, Lee MJ (2001) Helical CT evaluation of the perirenal space and its boundaries: a cadaveric study. Radiology 218:659–663
Aizenstein RI, Wilbur AC, O’Neal HK, et al. (1997) Interfascial and perinephric pathways in the spread of retroperitoneal disease: refined concepts based on CT observations. AJR 168:639–643
Lee SL, Ku YM, Rha SE (2010) Comprehensive reviews of the interfascial plane of the retroperitoneum: normal anatomy and pathologic entities. Emerg Radiol 17:3–11
Gore RM, Balfe DM, Aizenstein RI, Silverman PM (2000) The great escape: interfacial decompression planes of the retroperitoneum. AJR 175:363–370
Ishikawa K, et al. (2005) Traumatic retroperitoneal hematoma spreads through the interfascial planes. J Trauma 59(3):595–607 (discussion 607–8)
Scialpi M, Scaglione M, Angelelli G, et al. (2004) Emergencies in the retroperitoneum: assessment of spread of disease by helical CT. Eur J Radiol 50:74–83
Auh YH, et al. (1986) Extraperitoneal paravesical spaces: CT delineation with US correlation. Radiology 159(2):319–328
Mastromatteo JF, Mindell HJ, Mastromatteo MF, et al. (1997) Communications of the pelvic extraperitoneal spaces and their relation to the abdominal extraperitoneal spaces: helical CT cadaver study with pelvic extraperitoneal injections. Radiology 202:523–530
Kim SW, Kim HC, Yang DM, Min GE (2013) The prevesical space: anatomical review and pathological conditions. Clin Radiol 68:733–740
O’Connell AM, Duddy L, Lee C, Lee MJ (2007) CT of pelvic extraperitoneal spaces: an anatomical study in cadavers. Clin Radiol 62:432–438
Bittle MM, Gunn ML, Gross JA, Stern EJ (2012) Trauma radiology companion: methods, guidelines, and imaging fundamentals. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, pp 234–239
Hashimoto M, Okane K, Hirano H, Watarai J (1998) Pictorial review: Subperitoneal spaces of the broad ligament and sigmoid mesocolon-imaging findings. Clin Radiol 53:875–881
Vikram R, Balachandran A, Bhosale PR, et al. (2009) Pancreas: peritoneal reflections, ligamentous connections, and pathways of disease spread. Radiographics 29:e34
Meyers MA (2011) Dynamic radiology of the abdomen, normal and pathologic anatomy, Chap 4. Mechanism of spread of disease in the abdomen and pelvis, 6th edn. New York: Springer, pp 41–68
Kim SH, Shin SS, Jeong YY, et al. (2009) Gastrointestinal tract perforation: MDCT findings according to the perforation sites. Korean J Radiol 10:63–70
Choi PW (2011) Pneumomediastinum caused by colonic diverticulitis perforation. J Korean Surg Soc 80(Suppl 1):S17–S20
Murariu D, Tatsuno BK, Tom MK, You JS, Maldini G (2012) Subcutaneous emphysema, pneumopericardium, pneumomediastinum and pneumoretroperitoneum secondary to sigmoid perforation: a case report. Hawaii J Med Public Health 71:74–77
Alexiou K, Sakellaridis T, Sikalias N, et al. (2009) Subcutaneous emphysema, pneumomediastinum and pneumoperitoneum after unsuccessful ERCP: a case report. Cases J 2:120
Marwan K, Farmer KC, Varley C, Chapple KS (2007) Pneumothorax, pneumomediastinum, pneumoperitoneum, pneumoretroperitoneum and subcutaneous emphysema following diagnostic colonoscopy. Ann R Coll Surg Engl 89:W20–W21
Scichilone N, Buttacavoli M, Camarda G, et al. (2009) A 15-year-old boy with anterior chest pain, progressive dyspnea, and subcutaneous emphysema of the neck. J Allergy (Cairo) 2009:496890
Canivet JL, Yans T, Piret S, Frere P, Beguin Y (2003) Barotrauma-induced tension pneumoperitoneum. Acta Anaesthesiol Belg 54:233–236
Koh ES, Chapeikin G (2004) Anterior infradiaphragmatic free gas following bronchial rupture: case report and literature review. Australas Radiol 48:58–60
Kim WH, Kim BH (2012) Bilateral pneumothoraces, pneumomediastinum, pneumoperitoneum, pneumoretroperitoneum, and subcutaneous emphysema after percutaneous tracheostomy: a case report. Korean J Anesthesiol 62:488–492
Lostoridis E, Gkagkalidis K, Varsamis N, et al. (2013) Pneumoscrotum as complication of blunt thoracic trauma: a case report. Case Rep Surg 2013:392869
Disclosure of Commercial Interest
Dr. Moshiri is an author and consultant for Amyrsis. The remaining authors have no financial relationship with a commercial organization that may have a direct or indirect interest in the content.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Osman, S., Moshiri, M., Robinson, T.J. et al. Subperitoneal extension of disease processes between the chest, abdomen, and the pelvis. Abdom Imaging 40, 1858–1870 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00261-014-0297-4
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00261-014-0297-4