Peritoneum

The peritoneum is a thin, two-layered membrane that lines the inside of the abdominal cavity and wraps around most of the abdominal organs, including the stomach, intestines, liver, and spleen. It produces a small amount of lubricating fluid that lets these organs slide against one another during digestion and movement. The outer layer (parietal peritoneum) lines the abdominal wall, while the inner layer (visceral peritoneum) covers the organs themselves.

Origin

The word comes from the Greek peritonaion, meaning "stretched around," from peri- (around) and teinein (to stretch). It has been used in anatomical writing since antiquity, including in the works of Galen, to describe the membrane enclosing the abdominal organs.

Significance in Asbestos Context

The peritoneum is the site where peritoneal mesothelioma develops, the second most common form of mesothelioma after the pleural type. Asbestos fibers that are swallowed, cleared from the lungs, or transported through the lymphatic system can reach the peritoneum, where they can cause chronic inflammation and, decades later, malignant transformation of the mesothelial cells lining this membrane. Diagnosis often involves imaging of the abdomen (CT or MRI), paracentesis to sample ascitic fluid, and laparoscopic biopsy of suspicious peritoneal nodules. For patients, understanding that mesothelioma is not only a lung-area disease is important: abdominal symptoms such as swelling, pain, or unexplained weight loss in someone with an asbestos exposure history warrant specific evaluation of the peritoneum.

Example Sentence

The CT scan showed thickening of the peritoneum and fluid in the abdomen, prompting the surgeon to schedule a laparoscopic biopsy to rule out peritoneal mesothelioma.

Related Terms

Peritoneal Mesothelioma, Pleura, Mesothelial Cells, Ascites, Cytoreductive Surgery, HIPEC

Notes

• If you have an asbestos exposure history and develop unexplained abdominal swelling, pain, bloating, or weight loss, ask your doctor specifically about peritoneal imaging and whether peritoneal mesothelioma should be ruled out.
• Request that any biopsy of peritoneal tissue or analysis of ascitic fluid include immunohistochemistry markers used to diagnose mesothelioma (such as calretinin, WT-1, and BAP1), since general pathology reports may not distinguish mesothelioma from other abdominal cancers.
• Preserve all imaging studies, operative reports, and pathology slides. These documents identify the peritoneum as the disease site and are central evidence in a peritoneal mesothelioma claim.
• Ask whether you are a candidate for evaluation at a center experienced in cytoreductive surgery with HIPEC (heated intraperitoneal chemotherapy), which has improved outcomes for selected peritoneal mesothelioma patients.