PATHWAYS OF NODAL METASTASIS IN CARCINOMAS OF THE CECUM, ASCENDING COLON, AND TRANSVERSE COLON - CT DEMONSTRATION

The distribution of regional lymph node metastases in carcinomas of th e cecum, ascending colon, and transverse colon follows the vascular di stribution in the ileocolic mesentery, ascending mesocolon, and transv erse mesocolon. The location of these metastatic nodes can be recogniz ed on CT scans when the anatomy of the vessels in the ileocolic mesent ery and mesocolon is well understood. This knowledge is important in t he preoperative staging of carcinomas of the colon for curative surger y and in the early detection of recurrent nodal disease after curative surgery.