Large intestine
Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
Citation:
Gaillard F, Bell D, Hacking C, et al. Large intestine. Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 17 Mar 2025) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-1566
rID:
1566
Article created:
Disclosures:
At the time the article was created Frank Gaillard had no recorded disclosures.
View Frank Gaillard's current disclosures
Last revised:
Disclosures:
At the time the article was last revised Daniel J Bell had no recorded disclosures.
View Daniel J Bell's current disclosures
Revisions:
7 times, by
5 contributors -
see full revision history and disclosures
Systems:
Sections:
Synonyms:
- Colon
- Large bowel
The large intestine (also known as the large bowel) is a 1.5 meter muscular tube that extends from the cecum to the rectum. It has three outer longitudinal muscular layers called taenia coli, which are about 30 cm shorter than the length of the large bowel causing characteristic sacculations interrupted by incomplete rings called haustra 1. The large bowel is divided into the following parts:
- cecum
- ascending colon
- right colic flexure
- transverse colon
- left colic flexure
- descending colon
- sigmoid colon
- rectum
NB: some people use the term colon as a synonym for the large intestine/bowel, however anatomically, the colon does not include the rectum, and therefore colon and large intestine are not synonymous.
Quiz questions
References
- 1. Butler P, Mitchell A, Healy JC. Applied Radiological Anatomy. (2012) ISBN:0521766664. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
Incoming Links
Articles:
- Backwash ileitis
- Rectal cancer
- Water-soluble contrast challenge
- Typhlitis
- Toxic megacolon
- Cecum
- Faeces
- Lower gastrointestinal bleeding
- Colonic pseudo-obstruction
- Congenital pouch colon
- Epiploic appendage
- Traditional serrated adenoma
- Gallstone ileus
- 3-6-9 rule (bowel)
- Abdominal x-ray review: bowel
- Urinary diversion
- Left colic flexure
- Gastrointestinal amyloidosis
- Adynamic ileus
- Transverse colon
Cases:
- Meckel’s diverticulum causing acute small intestinal obstruction
- Colon diverticulosis
- Lymphatics of the colon (Gray's illustration)
- Intestinal obstruction due to adhesions
- Colonic adenocarcinoma
- Conjoined twins - cephalo-thoraco-omphalopagus
- Chilaiditi syndrome
- Normal abdominal x-ray - large bowel gas pattern
- Epiploic appendagitis
- Colon adenocarcinoma
Multiple choice questions:
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kidney
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