The pons is the largest part of the brainstem above the medulla oblongata and below the midbrain, in front of the cerebellum.
It controls involuntary actions such as those involved in sleep, respiration, and appetite.
It is also responsible for many of the sensory and motor functions of the head and face. For example, hearing, taste, facial sensations (such as touch and pain), eye movement, facial expressions, chewing, and swallowing.
It has been shown that there is
usually upper Gastrointestinal involvement in both Crohn’s disease and
Ulcerative Colitis (Colitis is the condition where the colon is inflamed). The
clinical implications of this strongly negate proceeding with Upper GI series
when both Crohn’s disease patient who also has an inflamed colon.
