Introduction

In the healthy state, the peritoneum is not well visualized on cross-section imaging. However, it may be evaluated by understanding and identifying its characteristic position and relationship with other abdominal viscera and vascular structures. In the diseased state, when the peritoneal membranes are thickened by edema, inflammation, or neoplastic infiltration, direct visualization by CT or MRI is possible.

The different imaging modalities for different disease processes affecting the peritoneum will be discussed in their respective sections.