The effect of stomach volume on the colon topography in cats

The aim of this study has been to describe the effect of varying degrees of fullness of the stomach on the topography of colon in cats by means of the sectional anatomy of the abdominal cavity. Twenty-four adult healthy cats of both sexes and of different ages were used. The cats were divided into two groups, of which group one had empty stomachs and the second filled stomachs. Eight cats were dissected. The remaining cats were frozen at -20°C, the eight of which were sectioned paramedially and the other eight transversely. The ascending colon started at the level of the fifth lumbar vertebra, and the cranial boundary of the transverse colon was at the level of the second lumbar vertebra in cats with empty stomachs. The ascending colon started at the level of the sixth lumbar vertebra in cats with full stomachs, while the cranial boundary of the transverse colon was at the level of the fourth lumbar vertebra and had lost relationship to the right kidney resting directly on the vertebral column. In both groups, the descending colon was located in the left abdominal cavity up to the level of the sixth lumbar vertebra, at which point it curved medially and ran cranial to the seventh lumbar vertebra in the median plane. Results from this study are to throw light on computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging.