[The topography of the abdominal organs of Monodelphis domestica (Marsupialia)].

Abstract

30 adult animals (14 females, 16 males) were studied macroscopically. The main findings are as follows: 1. The intestine is without striking macroscopic features that characterize the different parts of it. A variation of position of ileum, cecum, and colon, respectively, is due to the length of their mesenteries. 2. In adult males, the intestines are displaced from their position in the caudal part of the abdomen by the urethra (the urethral diameter is even wider than that of the gut, because the wall contains masses of prostatic glandular tissue). 3. The liver is clearly divided into lobes, however, there is no notch between the quadrate lobe and the left medial lobe. The falciform ligament is regarded as the border-line between these lobes, while the gall bladder separates the quadrate lobe from the right medial lobe. 4. The spleen lies almost entirely caudal to the costal arch. It extends dorsally between the stomach and the left kidney. Along the body wall, it reaches the ventral median line and shows even a slight orientation towards the xiphoid cartilage. 5. The greater omentum may extend to the cranial end to the urinary bladder. It is extremely thin and therefore hardly visible. 6. In females, subperitoneal fat may extend from the caudo-dorsal body wall along the lateral walls down to ventral regions, in some cases even occupying a considerable part of the caudo-ventral abdomen.