Dolichocolon revisited: An inborn anatomic variant with redundancies causing constipation and volvulus

Figure 1 Handmade drawings of dolichocolon forming tortuosities, loops and kinks. From Monterossi[2], 1820.

Figure 2 Different types of dolichocolon. A-C: Redundancies in the sigmoid; D: Generalized redundancies; E: Low transverse colon. From Caffey[16], 1961.

Figure 3 Barium enema showing a fully developed dolichocolon: A sigmoid loop rising over the line between the iliac crests, a transverse colon below the same line and extra loops at the flexures.

Figure 4 Dolichocolon with loose mesenteries allowing the colon to be drawn out of the abdomen: The transverse colon is localized at the right, and the sigmoid loop at the left.