Serial plain abdominal film findings in the assessment of acute abdomen: spastic ileus, hypotonic ileus, mechanical ileus and paralytic ileus.

In recent years the increasing use of ultrasonography and computed tomography in the assessment of diseases causing acute abdomen and the diagnostic possibilities of magnetic resonance have decreased the role of conventional radiology techniques, especially of plain abdominal film in the diagnosis of acute abdomen. However, serial plain abdominal film is still the first diagnostic procedure used in the assessment of patients with acute abdominal pain, providing important diagnostic information if correctly performed and carefully observed. In this paper serial plain abdominal film findings related to the different types of ileus (spastic ileus, hypotonic ileus, mechanical ileus and paralytic ileus) are presented.