[Diagnosis of obstruction of the large intestine]

In 96 out of 367 investigated patients with diagnosis of acute obturation large intestine ileus was confirmed. These patients were subjected to urgent operations. In another group of patients (64) with an obscure clinical picture urgent rectoromanoscopy was fulfilled after rentgenography. Five patients were found to have stenozing tumours of the distal part of the sigmoid intestine. Urgent irrigoscopy was performed in all the 64 patients of this group after rectoromanoscopy. A mechanical obstacle was revealed in the large intestine of 34 patients. In 28 patients the suspicion of a mechanical large-intestine ileus was rejected which prevented unnecessary laparotomy.