Abstract
A 79-year-old woman had a history of bilateral femoral head replacements and multiple abdominal surgeries. She was referred for abdominal pain and vomiting that had persisted for two days, and she was diagnosed with adhesion ileus on abdominal computed tomography (CT). The pelvic floor was difficult to interpret radiographically because of the effects of artifacts. However, when the CT conditions were adjusted so as to reduce the effects of artifacts, it became possible to identify the small intestine, which was incarcerated in the left obturator foramen ; combined with ultrasound, this gave a diagnosis of ileus caused by an incarcerated left obturator hernia, and she was scheduled for emergency same-day surgery. Though the effects of artifacts due to artificial materials may make radiographic interpretation seem difficult at first glance, we believe that, by adjusting the CT conditions and using concomitant ultrasound, it is important to be aggressive in radiographic interpretation, even in an artifact area.
