ascending colon

The ascending colon is the second part of the large bowel.

Gross anatomy

The ascending colon is the continuation of the cecum superior to the ileocecal valve. It is secondarily retroperitoneal, although it has its own mesentery in approximately 25% of patients and is 15 cm in length .

The ascending colon courses up the right posterior abdominal wall until it reaches the level of the right kidney and courses anteromedially to form the hepatic flexure, where it continues as the transverse colon .

Relations

• anterior: loops of small bowel, greater omentum, anterior abdominal wall
• posterior: posterior abdominal wall
• inferior: cecum, terminal ileum
• laterally: right paracolic gutter
• medially: right inframesocolic space 

Blood supply

• arterial supply: colic branch of the ileocolic artery and right colic arteries - branches of superior mesenteric artery 
• venous drainage
  • similarly named veins draining into the portal venous system 
  • also drains via the lumbar veins (as it is retroperitoneal) to the inferior vena cava - this is a pathway for portal-systemic collateral pathways 

Lymphatic drainage

Lymph runs with the arteries to the paracolic lymph nodes, which drain into the superior mesenteric group .

Innervation

• sympathetic: superior mesenteric plexus
• parasympathetic: pelvic splanchnic nerves (from S2-S4)

Related pathology

• colorectal carcinoma

Siehe auch:

• Ileum
• Kolon
• Kolorektales Karzinom
• Mesenterium
• superior mesenteric artery (SMA)
• Dünndarm
• Zökum
• portal venous system
• Kolon transversum
• hepatic flexure

und weiter:

• right colic flexure