The ileocecal fold (or ileocaecal fold) is an

anatomical Anatomy () is the branch of biology concerned with the study of the structure of organisms and their parts. Anatomy is a branch of natural science that deals with the structural organization of living things. It is an old science, having it ...

structure of the human abdomen formed by a layer of

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 ...

between the

ileum The ileum () is the final section of the small intestine in most higher vertebrates, including mammals, reptiles, and birds. In fish, the divisions of the small intestine are not as clear and the terms posterior intestine or distal intestine ma ...

and

cecum The cecum or caecum is a pouch within the peritoneum that is considered to be the beginning of the large intestine. It is typically located on the right side of the body (the same side of the body as the appendix (anatomy), appendix, to which i ...

. The upper border of the ileocecal fold is fixed to the ileum opposite its

mesenteric The mesentery is an organ that attaches the intestines to the posterior abdominal wall in humans and is formed by the double fold of peritoneum. It helps in storing fat and allowing blood vessels, lymphatics, and nerves to supply the intestines ...

attachment, and the lower border passes over the

ileocecal junction The ileocecal valve (ileal papilla, ileocaecal valve, Tulp's valve, Tulpius valve, Bauhin's valve, ileocecal eminence, valve of Varolius or colic valve) is a sphincter muscle valve that separates the small intestine and the large intestine. Its ...

to join the mesentery of the appendix (and sometimes the appendix itself as well). Behind the ileocecal fold is the inferior ileocecal fossa. The ileocecal fold is also called a ligament, veil, or bloodless fold of Treves (after English surgeon

Sir Frederick Treves Sir Frederick Treves, 1st Baronet (15 February 1853 – 7 December 1923), was a prominent British surgeon, and an expert in anatomy. Treves was renowned for his surgical treatment of appendicitis, and is credited with saving the life of Ed ...

).Sir Frederick Treves
at whonamedit.com Despite the latter name, the ileocecal fold in fact often contains a vessel. Clinical Anatomy , Applied Anatomy for Students and Junior Doctors by Harold Ellis & Vishy Mahadevan - Thirteenth Edition (Page 88)

Additional images

File:Gray1045.png, The cecal fossa. The ileum and cecum are drawn backward and upward.

References

External links

Digestive system {{Digestive-stub