MORPHOLOGOCAL AND FUNCTIONAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE HUMAN GREATER OMENTUM LYMPHOID TISSUE

INTRODUCTION. Currently, driven by the demands of clinical medicine (abdominal, thoracic, gynecological, plastic and reconstructive surgery, oncology), the study of the morphology, plasticity, reactive and adaptive functions of the greater omentum remains highly relevant. In the literature, these lymphoid aggregates in the greater omentum are commonly referred to as milky spots. Inasmuch as the greater omentum represents a common site of metastatic dissemination, the investigation of its lymphoid structures is of paramount im-portance.
OBJECTIVE: a review of the foreign and national scientific literature on the milky spots of the greater omen-tum, which are an important component of immune surveillance within the peritoneal cavity.
MATERIALS AND METHODS. The study involved a systematic review of the foreign and national scientific literature followed by a comprehensive analysis of the compiled data. Publications covering clinical observa-tions, pathological studies, and data on the relationship between milky spots and various pathologies were se-lected for the analysis.
RESULTS. Current research demonstrates that lymphoid aggregates are actively involved in the immune re-sponse, providing defense against infections and inflammatory processes. The microstructure of these aggre-gates comprises a variety of cellular components, among which lymphocytes, macrophages and dendritic cells predominate interacting to drive complex mechanisms of the immune response. The greater omentum has unique biological properties including neovascularization, hemostasis, tissue healing and regeneration, while also serving as an in vivo incubator for cell and tissue cultivation. Morphological studies conducted on various models confirm the importance of milky spots in maintaining homeostasis and their involvement in the path-ogenesis of different diseases. Potential pathogenic mechanisms that may affect the function of these aggre-gates are discussed.
CONCLUSION. This work underscores the critical need for further research to fully understand the role of milky spots in immune responses and to evaluate their clinical significance.

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