THE EFFECTS OF DISTENSION OF THE COLON DURING AIR-CONTRAST BARIUM ENEMA ON COLONIC MORPHOLOGY - ANATOMIC CORRELATION

Radiologic and pathologic findings are snapshots of disease processes that may vary with a host of dynamic variables, This pictorial essay s hows how the presence and visibility of the innominate grooves of the colon are a function of colonic distention. This article also shows ho w each layer of the colonic wall, including the epithelium, muscularis mucosae, and muscularis propria, changes dramatically in thickness wi th varying degrees of colonic distension. These anatomic changes are d ocumented by barium enema radiography, specimen radiography, dissectin g photomicrography, and histology. These observations have important i mplications for the interpretation of radiologic and pathologic findin gs in both normal and diseased states.