Air enema revisited in assessment of colitis.

Plain radiographs and air enema were performed in 37 patients with ulcerative colitis, 7 patients with proctitis, and 8 patients with Crohn's disease. The air enema was superior to plain radiographs for diagnosing colitis, and for delineating the extent of disease and the degree of mucosal involvement. The air enema is simple to perform and easy to evaluate as shown by an almost complete agreement between 2 observers.