Perforated Viscus
An organ with an abnormal opening often is referred to as a perforated viscus. Viscus technically means a hollow organ found inside the body. Examples of these hollow organs mostly are found in the chest and abdomen such as the stomach, appendix, intestines, spleen, gallbladder, and urinary bladder. The term viscus is a singular form, often used in referring to only one organ involved. Its plural term, viscera, generally is used to denote the involvement of many organs.
Hollow organs often have several layers of cells in their walls in order to hold materials inside. Food materials consumed during meals and some acids used in digestion typically are found in the stomach. Digested food and waste
materials to be excreted out of the body usually are found in the intestines. The gallbladder generally contains bile and bile acids, and the urinary bladder is mostly a storage site for urine before it is passed out of the body.
Spilling of these materials inside the abdomen usually happens in the presence of a perforated abdominal viscus. These materials often are toxic inside the body cavity, and can place the life of a patient in danger. Bacteria often reach the blood system in most of these cases, thus immediate medical attention and effective treatment generally are needed in such situations.