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Ileocecal Valve

 
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Ileocecal valve
 
 
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The ileocecal valve is a sphincter muscle situated at the junction of the small intestine
Small intestine

In vertebrates, including mammals, reptiles, birds, and bony fish, the small intestine is the part of the gastrointestinal tract following the stomach, and is where the vast majority of digestion takes place....
 (ileum) and the large intestine
Large intestine

The large intestine is the last part of the digestive system?the final stage of the alimentary canal?in vertebrate animals. Its function is to absorb water from the remaining indigestible food matter, and then to pass this useless feces from the body....
. Its critical function is to limit the reflux of colonic contents into the ileum.

Functionally, roughly two litres of fluid enters the colon daily through the ileocecal valve.

histology
Histology

Histology is the study of the anatomy of cell and tissue of plants and animals. It is performed by examining a thin slice of tissue under a light microscope or electron microscope....
 of the ileocecal valve shows an abrupt change in the villous pattern which is mucosa, to the At the ileocecal valve, there is also thickening of the muscularis mucosa, which is the smooth muscle
Smooth muscle

Smooth muscle is a type of non-striated muscle, found within the tunica media layer of large and small arteries and veins, the urinary bladder, uterus, male and female reproductive tracts, gastrointestinal tract, respiratory tract, the ciliary muscle, and iris of the eye....
 tissue found beneath the mucosal layer of the digestive tract.

There is also a variable amount of lymphatic tissue found at the valve.

ng colonoscopy
Colonoscopy

Colonoscopy is the endoscopy examination of the large Colon and the distal part of the ileum with a CCD camera or a fiber optic camera on a flexible tube passed through the anus....
, the ileocecal valve is used, along with the appendiceal orifice
Appendix

Appendix, from the Latin word of the same name, may refer to an Index / Bibliography.* In book design, an appendix is a reference section at the end of a book ...
, in the identification of the cecum
Cecum

The cecum or caecum is a pouch connected to the ascending colon of the large intestine and the ileum. It is separated from the ileum by the ileocecal valve or Bauhin's valve, and is considered to be the beginning of the large intestine....
.






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Encyclopedia


The ileocecal valve is a sphincter muscle situated at the junction of the small intestine
Small intestine

In vertebrates, including mammals, reptiles, birds, and bony fish, the small intestine is the part of the gastrointestinal tract following the stomach, and is where the vast majority of digestion takes place....
 (ileum) and the large intestine
Large intestine

The large intestine is the last part of the digestive system?the final stage of the alimentary canal?in vertebrate animals. Its function is to absorb water from the remaining indigestible food matter, and then to pass this useless feces from the body....
. Its critical function is to limit the reflux of colonic contents into the ileum.

Functionally, roughly two litres of fluid enters the colon daily through the ileocecal valve.

Histology

The histology
Histology

Histology is the study of the anatomy of cell and tissue of plants and animals. It is performed by examining a thin slice of tissue under a light microscope or electron microscope....
 of the ileocecal valve shows an abrupt change in the villous pattern which is mucosa, to the At the ileocecal valve, there is also thickening of the muscularis mucosa, which is the smooth muscle
Smooth muscle

Smooth muscle is a type of non-striated muscle, found within the tunica media layer of large and small arteries and veins, the urinary bladder, uterus, male and female reproductive tracts, gastrointestinal tract, respiratory tract, the ciliary muscle, and iris of the eye....
 tissue found beneath the mucosal layer of the digestive tract.

There is also a variable amount of lymphatic tissue found at the valve.

Clinical significance

During colonoscopy
Colonoscopy

Colonoscopy is the endoscopy examination of the large Colon and the distal part of the ileum with a CCD camera or a fiber optic camera on a flexible tube passed through the anus....
, the ileocecal valve is used, along with the appendiceal orifice
Appendix

Appendix, from the Latin word of the same name, may refer to an Index / Bibliography.* In book design, an appendix is a reference section at the end of a book ...
, in the identification of the cecum
Cecum

The cecum or caecum is a pouch connected to the ascending colon of the large intestine and the ileum. It is separated from the ileum by the ileocecal valve or Bauhin's valve, and is considered to be the beginning of the large intestine....
. This is important, as it indicates that a complete colonoscopy has been performed. The ileocecal valve is typically located on the last fold before entry into the cecum, and can be located from the direction of curvature of the appendiceal orifice, in what is known as the bow and arrow sign
Bow and arrow sign

The bow and arrow sign is an endoscopy sign for determining the location of the ileocecal valve during colonoscopy. Identifying the ileocecal valve in a colonoscopy is important, as it indicates that the entire colon has been visualized....
.

Intubation of the ileocecal valve is typically performed in colonoscopy to evaluate the distal, or lowest part of the ileum
Ileum

The ileum is the final section of the small intestine in most higher vertebrates, including mammals, reptiles, and birds. In fish, the divisions of the small intestine are not as clear and the terms posterior intestine or distal intestine may be used instead of ileum....
. Small bowel endoscopy can also be performed by double-balloon enteroscopy
Double-balloon enteroscopy

Double-balloon enteroscopy, also known as push-and-pull enteroscopy is an endoscopy technique for visualization of the small bowel. It was developed by Hironori Yamamoto in 2001....
 through intubation of the ileocecal valve.

Pathology

Tumours of the ileocecal valve are rare, but have been reported in the literature.

Etymology

It was discovered by the Dutch
Netherlands

The Netherlands is a country that is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands is located in North-West Europe, and bordered by the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east....
 physician Nicolaes Tulp
Nicolaes Tulp

Nicolaes Tulp was a Netherlands surgeon and mayor List of mayors of Amsterdam. Tulp was well known for his upstanding moral character....
 (1593-1674), and thus it is sometimes known as Tulp's valve.

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