Intestinal obstruction due to food residue, especially oranges, is a recognized phenomenon. The incidence is likely to rise because of the increasing numbers of partial gastrectomies being done and also because of the rising popularity of oranges.
The following five case histories are of patients who were operated on for ileus due to orange pith. These patients had previously undergone partial gastrectomy and anterior gastroenterostomy for duodenal ulcer.
Report of Cases
Case 1.—A 65-year-old man was admitted in 1958 for an acute condition within the abdomen. Two days before admission he had epigastric pain accompanied by vomiting. On admission the patient had obvious severe pain and tenderness in the epigastric region with signs of peritoneal irritation, board-like rigidity of the abdominal wall, and weak peristaltic sounds. Results of laboratory tests showed: hemoglobin, 15.5 gm/100 cc; leukocytes, 13,500/cu mm; blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and electrolytes, normal; urinalysis, negative; urinary diastase, 64