Sex differences in the splenic flexure

INTRODUCTION Anecdotally, surgeons claim splenic flexure mobilisation is more difficult in male patients. There have been no scientific studies to confirm or disprove this hypothesis. The implications in colorectal surgery could be profound. The aim of this study was to assess quantitatively whether there is an anatomical difference in the position of the splenic flexure between men and women using computed tomography (CT). METHODS Portal venous phase CT performed for preoperative assessment of colorectal malignancy was analysed using the hospital picture archiving and communication system. The splenic flexure was compared between men and women using two variables: anatomical height corresponding to the adjacent vertebral level (converted to ordinal values between 1 and 17) and distance from the midline. RESULTS In total, 100 CT images were analysed. Sex distribution was even. The mean ages of the male and female patients were 68.1 years and 66.7 years respectively (p=0.630). The mean vertebral level for ...