Lateral umbilical fold

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Lateral umbilical fold

The lateral umbilical fold is an anatomical structure in the human body. It is a peritoneal fold that covers the inferior epigastric vessels. The lateral umbilical fold is one of the three umbilical folds found on the internal surface of the anterior abdominal wall, the other two being the medial umbilical fold and the median umbilical fold.

Anatomy

The lateral umbilical fold extends from the deep inguinal ring to the arcuate line of the rectus abdominis muscle. It is located lateral to the medial umbilical fold and the median umbilical fold. The fold is formed by the parietal peritoneum covering the inferior epigastric vessels, which are branches of the external iliac artery and external iliac vein.

Clinical Significance

The lateral umbilical fold is an important landmark in laparoscopic surgery and other surgical procedures involving the anterior abdominal wall. It helps in identifying the location of the inferior epigastric vessels, which is crucial to avoid vascular injury during surgical interventions such as hernia repair.

Related Structures

• Medial umbilical fold
• Median umbilical fold
• Inferior epigastric vessels
• Deep inguinal ring
• Arcuate line
• Rectus abdominis muscle
• External iliac artery
• External iliac vein

See Also

• Umbilical folds
• Anterior abdominal wall
• Peritoneum