The value of plain radiography in establishing the diagnosis of gastric lesions.

Appreciation for the diagnostic value of plain (noncontrast) radiography of the gastrointestinal tract appears to have diminished with the advent of more sophisticated imaging techniques. A case in which scrutiny of the gastric air pattern on plain abdominal films suggested the underlying presence of Zollinger-Ellison syndrome emphasizes the potential diagnostic value of plain radiography of the abdomen for gastric disorders.