The jejunum is the middle part of the small intestine, making up roughly the first two-fifths of the bowel beyond the duodenum. It lies mostly in the upper left abdomen, suspended by the mesentery. Compared with the ileum it is wider, thicker-walled and redder, with tall, closely packed circular folds, long straight arteries (vasa recta) and only one or two rows of arterial arcades.
| Location | Mostly in the left upper and central abdomen, from the duodenojejunal flexure, attached to the posterior wall by the mesentery |
|---|---|
| Parts |
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| Nerve Supply | Vagus nerve (parasympathetic); Superior mesenteric plexus, from lesser splanchnic nerves (sympathetic) |
| Blood Supply | Jejunal arteries (from the superior mesenteric artery) |
| Venous drainage |
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| Lymphatic drainage |
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Main site of absorption of sugars, amino acids, fats and most water, using digestive enzymes from the pancreas and its own brush border.
These differences let surgeons tell jejunum from ileum at operation. Jejunal loops are used to make Roux-en-Y reconstructions and feeding jejunostomies. On X-ray, its dense folds give a feathery pattern, and in coeliac disease this pattern may be lost.
Multiple outpouchings on the mesenteric border of the jejunum, usually silent but able to cause bacterial overgrowth, bleeding or perforation.
Gluten-triggered villous atrophy that is most marked in the duodenum and proximal jejunum, causing malabsorption.
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