To examine anatomic variations and frequency of the colon on the abdominal CT scans.

Anatomic variations of the colon probably result due to embryologic abnormalities of bowel rotation and fixation, short transvers mesocolon, intraperitoneal ascending or descending colon, increased intraperitoneal pressure or decreased retroperitoneal fat. The aim of the present study to examine anatomic variations and frequency of the colon on the abdominal CT scans. Patiens were examined in the supine position with a 5 mm slice thickness. 198 women and 293 men ranging in age from 3 to 86 years, a total of 490 abdominal CT examinations were evaluated retrospectively. Patients with either obvious hepatomegaly/splenomegaly or large (?3cm) intraabdominal mass, having been previously subjected to surgical prosedures, congenital anomalies were excluded from the study.We observed 23 retrogastric colon [ pancreaticogastric (1.8%), retrosplenic (2.8 %)], 45 retrorenal colon (9.1%) being bilateral in six cases, 13 interposition of colon between the psoas muscle and the kidney (2.6%), 11 anterolateral hepatodiaphragmatic interposition (2.2%) and 6 high positioned cecum (1.2%) (in 2 of them cecum was totally subhepatic in location).Atypical positioned colon is based on visualization of colonic haustra and contiguity with adjacent colon on multipl imaging sections. It is generally asymptomatic, however, occasionally may occur symptomatic. It may mimic a few pathology in intraabdominal. In this situation, may cause mistake diagnostic. Additionally, surgery and percutaneous interventional prosedure may perforation viscus.In conclusion, for these reasons tomography images should be evaluated forthe presence of these anatomic variations.Key words: Anatomy of the colon, variation, tomography