The anocutaneous line, also called the Hilton white line or intersphincteric groove, is a boundary in the

anal canal The anal canal is the part that connects the rectum to the anus, located below the level of the pelvic diaphragm. It is located within the anal triangle of the perineum, between the right and left ischioanal fossa. As the final functional s ...

. Below the anocutaneous line, lymphatic drainage is to the superficial inguinal nodes. The anocutaneous line is slightly below the

pectinate line The pectinate line (dentate line) is a line which divides the upper two-thirds and lower third of the anal canal. Developmentally, this line represents the hindgut- proctodeum junction. It is an important anatomical landmark in humans, and fo ...

and a landmark for the intermuscular border between internal and external anal sphincter muscles. The anocutaneous line represents the transition point from non-keratinized

stratified squamous epithelium A stratified squamous epithelium consists of squamous (flattened) epithelial cells arranged in layers upon a basal membrane. Only one layer is in contact with the basement membrane; the other layers adhere to one another to maintain structural ...

of the anal canal to keratinized stratified squamous epithelium of the

anus In mammals, invertebrates and most fish, the anus (: anuses or ani; from Latin, 'ring' or 'circle') is the external body orifice at the ''exit'' end of the digestive tract (bowel), i.e. the opposite end from the mouth. Its function is to facil ...

and perianal skin. In live persons, the color of the line is white, hence the alternative name. It is named for John Hilton.

References

Digestive system {{digestive-stub

See also

References