Figure 5a. Supine abdominal radiographs obtained at initial presentation in two neonates with NEC show abnormal bowel gas patterns with loss of the normal mosaic pattern seen in Figure 4 and absence of convincing evidence of intramural gas. (a) The bowel loops are dilated with gas and have assumed a more rounded and elongated appearance. There appears to be a small amount of portal venous gas. (b) The bowel loops have assumed a more nonspecific appearance, which may reflect bowel wall thickening or an accumulation of fluid within the lumen or in the peritoneal cavity.