The epiploic appendices (or appendices epiploicae, or epiploic appendages, or appendix epiploica, or omental appendices) are small pouches of the

peritoneum The peritoneum is the serous membrane forming the lining of the abdominal cavity or coelom in amniotes and some invertebrates, such as annelids. It covers most of the intra-abdominal (or coelomic) organs, and is composed of a layer of mesoth ...

filled with

fat In nutrition science, nutrition, biology, and chemistry, fat usually means any ester of fatty acids, or a mixture of such chemical compound, compounds, most commonly those that occur in living beings or in food. The term often refers spec ...

and situated along the colon, but are absent in the rectum. They are chiefly appended to the transverse and sigmoid parts of the colon, however, their function is unknown. The appendages can become inflamed in a painful process known as

epiploic appendagitis Epiploic appendagitis (EA) is an uncommon, benign, self-limiting inflammatory process of the epiploic appendices. Other, older terms for the process include appendicitis epiploica and appendagitis, but these terms are used less now in order to avo ...

which can mimic

acute appendicitis Appendicitis is inflammation of the appendix. Symptoms commonly include right lower abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and decreased appetite. However, approximately 40% of people do not have these typical symptoms. Severe complications of a rupt ...

and other conditions.

External links

* - "Intestines and Pancreas: Large Intestine" * * "Michael Sand et al.
Epiploic appendagitis – clinical characteristics of an uncommon surgical diagnosis
BMC Surgery 2007, 7:11 (1 July 2007)". {{Authority control Pelvis