1 Department of Radiology, University of Minnesota
The variety of conditions and combinations that can produce absence or deficiency of the intestinal gas pattern should be kept in mind. It is important to realize that mechanical obstruction is not the only one which causes this picture and that surgery which may be contemplated may not only be unnecessary but also disastrous. This is especially important for the admitting officer to remember. The exact mechanism producing the same roentgenographic picture in so many different conditions is not entirely clear and may not necessarily be common to all. Experimental work is necessary.
Submitted on March 14, 1956