title: The threatened caecum in acute large-bowel obstruction.
abstract: The recognition of intramural caecal gas as a sign of necrosis and incipient caecal rupture in cases of acute large-bowel obstruction is emphasised. Gas was noted within the caecal wall in two cases of large-bowel obstruction due to recto-sigmoid carcinoma. At operation the proximal large bowel was found to be non-viable in one of these, and the other required a repeat operation for gangrenous bowel two days after the initial procedure. These cases illustrate the importance of specifically looking for intramural caecal gas in patients with acute large-bowel obstruction, and its value in identifying the threatened caecum, especially if marked distension is present.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002432:Cecum / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D005740:Gases; D006801:Humans; D007415:Intestinal Obstruction / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology; D007420:Intestine, Large / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011859:Radiography
chemical_list: D005740:Gases