What does the term ileus mean?
Ileus is from the Greek eilein , meaning “to roll.” The term initially was used to describe patients “doubled-over” with abdominal pain. The term later was used to describe bowel dilation. The term ileus, meaning dilation, needs a qualifier to imply either atony or obstruction. Mechanical ileus means bowel obstruction. The terms adynamic ileus, paralytic ileus, or functional ileus describe diminished bowel contraction or peristalsis, not obstruction, with accumulation of gas and fluid in the intestinal lumen.
