[Anatomic variations of the colon detected on abdominal CT scans]

The frequency of anatomic variations of the colon detected on abdominal CT scans was examined. 296 consequtive abdominal tomography were evaluated prospectively for the presence of retrorenal colon, retrogastric (pancreaticogastric interposition or retrosplenic) colon, high positioned colon, interposition of the colon between the psoas muscle and the kidney and hepatodiaphragmatic interposition (anterior or posterior). We observed 2 retrogastric colon [1 pancreaticogastric (0.3%), 1 retrosplenic (0.3%)], 7 retrorenal colon (1.2%) being bilateral in two cases, 2 interposition of colon between the psoas muscle and the kidney (0.7%), 1 posterior (0.3%) and 6 anterolateral hepatodiaphragmatic interposition (2.1%) and 12 high positioned cecum (4.2%) (in 4 of them cecum was totally subhepatic in location). Terminal ileum was lying in Morrison's pouch and anterior to renal hilus in two of the cases with subhepatic cecum. Anatomic variations of the colon probably result due to mild embr...