[Diagnosis and timing of operation for strangulation ileus--especially concerning the usefulness of ultrasonography].

This is a clinical report on the usefulness of ultrasonography in the diagnosis of strangulation ileus and the timing of operation for this entity. Fifty-eight cases of strangulation ileus were investigated retrospectively and twenty-five cases had undergone ultrasonography. Ultrasonography delineated the strangulated intestinal tract as an akinetic distended intestinal tract and the intestinal tract on the oral side of the strangulated part as a movable distended tract with peristalsis and to-and-fro movement of the intestinal content. Retention of ascites was seen in many cases. Utilization of ultrasonography improved the rate of accurate preoperative diagnosis of strangulation ileus to 92%, resulting in timely surgery. Consequently, the number of cases requiring enterectomy because of intestinal necrosis sharply decreased. Shock, peritoneal irritation sign, leukocytosis, roentgenographic findings were inferior to ultrasonography in the preoperative diagnosis for the prediction of intestinal necrosis in strangulation ileus.