The Sphincters of the Colon

Abstract

THE study of the sphincters of the colon, concerning which radiologists have contributed considerable data, is important from an anatomical, physiological, and pathological aspect. From an anatomic and histologic standpoint, according to findings which I have previously presented, the sphincters of the colon are as shown in Figure 1. (A)Sphincter of Varolio (Fig. 1-a)—Rutherford (1904), using anatomic specimens of animals which had succumbed to a violent death and of human cadavers (a few hours after death), was able to demonstrate that the ileocecal valve, in the fresh state had a very different aspect from that which the anatomist had described, that is, the ileocecal valve presented itself as a spherical eminence lacking a valve and frenula. The anatomic structure of this eminence, according to Rutherford, consisted of two layers of muscular fibers, circular and longitudinal, originating from the small intestine, an external third layer of circular fibers which formed a true sphincter, and, lastly, an ...