Colo-Rectal |
| Last updated (26 October 2003) |
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This is a portable supine abdominal film. There is gross gaseous distension of the colon, especially the right and transverse colons. Gas can be seen all the way around the colon into the rectum. No clear cut transition zone between distended and collapsed colon can be seen, this makes obstruction an unlikely cause of the distension.
The haustral folds appear thickened in particular in the ascending colon, suggesting that they are oedematous. No mucosal thumb printing can be seen.
This is a supine portable plain abdominal film. I cannot see the patients name, the date of birth or the date the film was taken. I note that portable abdominal films are only taken in patients that are too ill to travel to the X-ray department so it is most likely that the patient is quite unwell.
I note the presence of a naso-gastric (NG) tube, that appears to be appropriately situated below the diaphragm.
There is gross gaseous distension of the colon, this is particularly marked in the ascending and transverse colons. No clear transition zone is seen between the distended colon and the normal calibre descending colon. This looks like distended colon to me, because of the location of the distended bowel and the fact that the haustral markings do not in the main traverse the whole diameter of the bowel.
The haustral folds appear much thicker than usual, in particular in the ascending colon.
We know this is distended colon because the pattern of gas is around the periphery of the abdomen apart from the large U shaped loop from the transverse colon. In addition the mucosal folds (hasustrae) do not as a rule cross the full diameter of the colon, whereas in the small bowel the folds (valvulae conniventes) cross the entire diameter.
