Descending colon (Colon descendens)
Educational content only — not medical advice.
Anatomy
A retroperitoneal descent on the left side from the splenic flexure to the left iliac fossa, supplied by the left colic and first sigmoid arteries (IMA); stool is consolidated here by final absorption before sigmoid storage.
Clinical notes
Ageing wall with constipation makes it the classic stercoral-perforation site; its cancer warns late because the narrowing hardens before symptoms.
Related structures
Educational references
FAQ
What is the role of the Descending colon?
A retroperitoneal descent on the left side from the splenic flexure to the left iliac fossa, supplied by the left colic and first sigmoid arteries (IMA); stool is consolidated here by final absorption before sigmoid storage.
Why is the Descending colon clinically important?
Ageing wall with constipation makes it the classic stercoral-perforation site; its cancer warns late because the narrowing hardens before symptoms.
Source & license
BodyParts3D, © The Database Center for Life Science licensed under CC Attribution 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). license details