Paracolic Gutter Ct Scan

There is not usually an associated effusion of ascitic fluid.

Paracolic gutter ct scan.

A less obvious medial paracolic gutter may be formed especially on the right side if the colon possesses a short mesentery for part of its length. It can be compared to fluid in the gallbladder or stomach. On computed tomography without intravenous contrast material splenosis implants are as dense as the hepatic parenchyma and well circumscribed while their enhancement pattern mimics that of healthy spleen parenchyma and they are heterogeneous in the arterial phase becoming homogeneous during the portal phase. The right lateral paracolic gutter.

The left medial paracolic gutter. The right and left paracolic gutters are peritoneal recesses on the posterior abdominal wall lying alongside the ascending and descending colon. The main paracolic gutter lies lateral to the colon on each side. The right lateral gutter is much larger and allows for greater drainage than the left gutter.

Its origin lies on the right side origin of the right paracolic gutter lies at the ascending portion of the colon at the right hepatic flexure or the point where the ascending colon turns at a right angle to form the transverse colon. Ascites is present in right paracolic gutter. Ct scan is the usual initial imaging modality used because it is the imaging of choice for evaluating patients with generalized abdominal disorders and often those with peritoneal carcinomatosis. The paracolic spaces gutters are located lateral to the peritoneal reflections of the left and right sides of the colon fig 8a.

Dense fluid may suggest hemoperitoneum especially in the context of trauma. The right paracolic gutter is larger than the left and communicates freely with the right subphrenic space. Paracolic gutters help keep infectious material away from the body s internal organs. Both paracolic gutters run laterally along the back side of the abdominal wall and are situated between the abdominal wall and the outer margin of the colon.

View larger version 123k fig. Fluid may sit within the peritoneal space or paracolic gutters or may be interposed between bowel loops or around solid organs e g. 10 year old girl with 3 day history of epigastric pain and bilious vomiting caused by small bowel volvulus secondary to mesenteric lymphangioma. Fluid on ct is relatively hypodense dark on ct.

The right lateral paracolic gutter runs along the right side of the cavity of the abdomen.