Left Colic Gutter

Either of two grooves formed by the peritoneum and lying respectively lateral to the ascending and descending colons.

Left colic gutter.

A less obvious medial paracolic gutter may be formed especially on the right side if the colon possesses a short mesentery for part of its length. The left medial paracolic gutter. Medical definition of paracolic gutter. A less obvious medial paracolic gutter may be formed especially on the right side if the colon possesses a short mesentery for part of its length.

The left lateral paracolic gutter is on the left side of the abdominal cavity between the outer wall of the descending colon and posterior abdominal wall. Flow occurs preferentially through the right rather than left paracolic gutters owing to the broader diameter of the right gutter. The left gutter runs between the descending colon and the abdominal wall and just like the right gutter empties into the lower abdomen and pelvic area. The main paracolic gutter lies lateral to the colon on each side.

In addition flow in the left paracolic gutter is cut off from reaching the left subphrenic space by the phrenicocolic ligament. The main paracolic gutter lies lateral to the colon on each side. The right and left paracolic gutters are peritoneal recesses on the posterior abdominal wall lying alongside the ascending and descending colon. This gutter is however much smaller because it is restricted at the top by the phrenicocolic ligament or the ligament supporting the top left edge of the colon.

Similar to its right counterpart the paracolic gutter originates from the left hepatic flexure or the meet point of the transverse and descending colon and runs downward to empty into the pelvic region or abdominal wall.