Webster's New World Medical Dictionary

intestinal gas
See 
flatus.
intestinal malrotation
See 
malrotation of the
intestine.
intestinal obstruction
Blockage of the intestine
by infolding (intussusception), malformation,
tumor, digestive problems, a foreign body, or
inflammation. Symptoms of intestinal obstruction
can include crampy abdominal pain, lack of ability
to normally eliminate feces, and eventually shock.
On examining the abdomen, the physician may feel
a mass. Abdominal X-rays may suggest intestinal
obstruction, but a barium enema may be needed to
show the actual cause. Treatment depends on the
cause of the obstruction. See also 
intussusception.
intestinal pseudo-obstruction
A condition in
which the patient has symptoms of intestinal
obstruction with no sign of actual physical obstruc-
tion. This condition may be due to problems with
the nerves that control intestinal muscles or to other
causes. Treatment depends on the cause.
intestine
The long, tubelike organ in the
abdomen that completes the process of digestion. It
consists of the small and large intestines and
extends from the stomach to the anus. See also
intestine, large; intestine, small.
intestine, large
The tubelike organ that com-
pletes the process of digestion, receiving material
from the small intestine. It has four parts: the cae-
cum, the appendix (vermiform appendix), the
colon, and the rectum. After the products of diges-
tion enter the caecum through the ileocecal valve,
they move rapidly past the appendix, which juts out
from the intestine near the caecum. The colon
absorbs any remaining water and forms the stool,
which is sent to the rectum for elimination. The
walls of the large intestine are muscular and con-
tract to move material along its length. See also
intestine; intestine, small.