Small bowel normal anatomy and congenital anomalies

Abstract

The mesenteric small bowel is the portion of the gastrointestinal tract which begins at the duodenojejunal flexure and ends at the ileocecal valve. It is 3 m long and it is divided into jejunum and ileum. It is attached to the posterior abdominal wall by fan-shaped mesentery which contains the blood vessels, lymphatics and nerves. There are multiple diseases which can present during the neonatal period, such as atresias, meconium abnormalities, cysts, and malrotation. In this chapter we summarise these diseases, with their clinical presentation, imaging modality of choice, and radiological findings.