Omentumien

Omentien is the Dutch term for the peritoneal folds known in English as the omenta. The omenta are two main structures in the upper abdomen: the greater omentum and the lesser omentum. They arise from peritoneal tissue and help connect the stomach to other viscera, forming part of the abdominal peritoneum's mesenteric framework.

The greater omentum extends from the greater curvature of the stomach, drapes over the intestines, and folds back to attach to the transverse colon. It consists of four layers of peritoneum enclosing fat and containing blood vessels, lymphatics, and nerves. It has a distinctive role in immune defense, can migrate to sites of infection, and may seal off inflamed regions to protect the peritoneal cavity.

The lesser omentum is smaller and extends from the lesser curvature of the stomach and the first part of the duodenum to the liver. It comprises two ligaments, the hepatogastric and hepatoduodenal ligaments, and forms part of the epiploic foramen, through which structures such as the portal triad pass.

Functions of the omenta include fat storage, insulation, mechanical protection of abdominal organs, and participation in immune responses. They can be involved in pathology such as omental infarction or torsion, and they are sometimes mobilized in surgical procedures as omental flaps to promote healing or local control of infection.

Terminology note: in Dutch medical language, omentien refers to these structures collectively; in English, the plural forms omena or omenta are commonly used, with omentum as the singular.