Diagnostic Ultrasound - Abdomen and Pelvis

Bowel
LARGE BOWEL
Abdominal wall musculature
Anatomy: Abdomen
Haustra of ascending colon
Abdominal wall
Transverse colon
Posterior reverberation artefact from
gas in transverse colon
Abdominal wall musculature
Outer muscular layer of colon
Descending colon
Posterior reverberation artefact
(Top) Right sagittal ultrasound shows a normal ascending colon with curvicurvilinear arcs of echogenicity from luminal gas/feces
reflecting the normal haustra pattern. (Middle) Transverse ultrasound through the epigastric region close to the midline shows the
normal haustral pattern of intraluminal gas/feces within the horizontally lying transverse colon. Note the posterior reverberation
artifact from a gas-filled colon. (Bottom) Left sagittal ultrasound through the left side of the abdomen shows the descending colon
represented by arcs of echogenicity with posterior reverberation artifacts due to gaseous contents of the colon. Note the normal
haustral pattern. Images obtained with curvilinear probe or linear probe with virtual convex are better for orientation of anatomy
within the peritoneal cavity.
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