Internal Organs of an Obese Male, Anterior View

Description

Anterior torso anatomy is presented through a transparent body wall in an adult obese male, with subcutaneous adipose overlying the thorax and abdomen and the diaphragm domes forming the superior boundary of the upper abdomen. Immediately inferior to the diaphragm sit the liver on the right and the stomach on the left, while the pancreas spans transversely across the epigastrium, posterior to the stomach and anterior to the great vessels. Inferior to the pancreas, loops of small intestine occupy the central abdomen, with the large intestine framing them more peripherally. Orientation is unambiguous. Emphasizing the pancreas in an obese body habitus makes the anatomic problem clinicians face in pancreatology and abdominal surgery clear: increased anterior abdominal wall thickness and intraabdominal fat can obscure landmarks and change the working distance for ultrasound, ERCP guidance, and laparoscopic access. That spatial relationship between stomach, pancreas, and transverse mesocolon is where edema and necrosis track in acute pancreatitis, and it is also the corridor where pancreaticoduodenectomy dissection begins at the pancreatic neck. A practical teaching point follows from the view, the pancreas is retroperitoneal, but it sits “tucked” behind foregut viscera. Use this artwork to anchor gross anatomy teaching of foregut derivatives, to illustrate bariatric medicine content on visceral adiposity and organ topography, or to support clinical education materials on acute pancreatitis, pancreatic cancer, and operative approaches to the upper abdomen. It also fits well in patient-facing handouts where you need a clear anterior map of the viscera without a full cross-sectional CT. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.