Paracolic Gutter Ultrasound

The right and left paracolic gutters are peritoneal recesses on the posterior abdominal wall lying alongside the ascending and descending colon.

Paracolic gutter ultrasound.

In a male patient this is a very uncommon diagnosis. What are the paracolic gutters rectouterine pouch retroperitoneal space ulnar gutter subphrenic space abdominal wall hepatic flexure peritoneal space ascendi. Ultrasound images clips appendicitis with perforation. Between the outer wall of the colon and back side of the abdominal wall there is an open space known as the paracolic gutter.

Both paracolic spaces are in continuity with the pelvic peritoneal spaces. The left medial paracolic gutter. The left paracolic gutter is a component of the left inframesocolic space partially separated from the left subphrenic spaces by the phrenicocolic ligament. Etiologically it means a channel adjacent to the abdominal wall.

Your fast exam is incomplete if you do not visualize this area. Ultrasound or mr depict these septations better than ct. Fluid may sit within the peritoneal space or paracolic gutters or may be interposed between bowel loops or around solid organs e g. Pus in the paracolic gutter and in douglas pouch and debris filled bladder.

It is smaller than the right paracolic gutter. There is a multi cystic mass extending from the pelvis along the right paracolic gutter to the upper abdomen. Ultrasound is the diagnostic modality of choice for the initial screening of unstable blunt trauma patients for peritoneal free fluid. It is the depression between the postero lateral wall of the abdomen and the lateral margins of the ascending and descending colon.

The main paracolic gutter lies lateral to the colon on each side. Abdominal case of the week cardiac ivc miscellaneous highlights procedure highlights lung ob gyn trauma soft tissue vascular msk. In thin patients relatively small volume of fluid can be found. It is also known as sulci paracolic and paracolic recesses.

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