Pneumatosis Cystoides Intestinalis

Portal vein gas combined with pneumatosis intestinalis and emphysematous cystitis: A case report and literature review

BACKGROUND

Portal venous gas (PVG) is a rare clinical condition usually indicative of severe disorders, including necrotizing enterocolitis, bowel ischemia, or bowel wall rupture/infarction. Pneumatosis intestinalis (PI) is a rare illness characterized by an infiltration of gas into the intestinal wall. Emphysematous cystitis (EC) is relatively rare and characterized by intramural and/or intraluminal bladder gas best depicted by cross-sectional imaging. Our study reports a rare case coexistence of PVG presenting with PI and EC.

CASE SUMMARY

An 86-year-old woman was admitted to the emergency room due to the progressive aggravation of pain because of abdominal fullness and distention, complicated with vomiting and stopping defecation for 4 d. The abdominal computed tomography (CT) plain scan indicated intestinal obstruction with ischemia changes, gas in the portal vein, left renal artery, superior mesenteric artery, superior mesenteric vein, some branch vessels, and bladder pneumatosis with air-fluid levels. Emergency surgery was conducted on the patient. Ischemic necrosis was found in the small intestine approximately 110 cm below the Treitz ligament and in the ileocecal junction and ascending colon canals. This included excision of the necrotic small intestine and right colon, fistulation of the proximal small intestine, and distal closure of the transverse colon. Subsequently, the patient displayed postoperative short bowel syndrome but had a good recovery. She received intravenous fluid infusion and enteral nutrition maintenance every other day after discharge from the community hospital.

CONCLUSION

Emergency surgery should be performed when CT shows signs of PVG with PI and EC along with a clinical situation strongly suggestive of bowel ischemia.

Neumatosis quística intestinal y peritoneal, causa de neumoperitoneo. Revisión de la literatura a propósito de un caso

Introducción. La neumatosis intestinal es una condición rara que se caracteriza por la infiltración submucosa o subserosa de gas en el tubo digestivo. Se encuentra más frecuentemente en el intestino delgado y, pocas veces, en localización extraintestinal. Su prevalencia estimada es de 0,03 %. Métodos. Se hizo una búsqueda bibliográfica en las bases de datos biomédicas Medline Pubmed, Science Direct, Tripdatabase y Uptodate, usando como palabras clave ‘neumoperitoneo’ y ‘neumatosis cistoide intestinal’ Para la presentación del caso clínico, se tomaron datos de la historia clínica y, además, imágenes de radiografía, tomografías y material fotográfico del procedimiento quirúrgico. Presentación del caso. Se trata de una mujer de 63 años de edad con antecedentes de colagenopatía, que consultó por dolor y distensión abdominal. Aunque no tenía signos de irritación peritoneal, las imágenes diagnósticas revelaron neumoperitoneo y líquido libre en la cavidad peritoneal, por lo que se sospechó una perforación intestinal y se practicó una laparotomía exploratoria, en la cual se encontró neumatosis quística intestinal y peritoneal. Conclusiones. No todos los casos de neumoperitoneo requieren cirugía. Existen casos espontáneos y sin irritación peritoneal, secundarios a neumatosis quística intestinal. En los casos de neumoperitoneo en pacientes estables con un diagnostico etiológico no muy claro, y en quienes se desee descartar perforación intestinal o isquemia mediante exploración quirúrgica, la laparoscopia diagnóstica es una buena opción y menos agresiva que la laparotomía.

"Cystamatic" Review: Is Surgery Mandatory for Pneumatosis Cystoides Intestinalis?

INTRODUCTION

Pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis (PCI) is a rare condition characterized by the presence of intramural gas cysts within the small and large intestines. We describe a case of a 70-year-old man admitted to the Emergency Surgery Department for PCI who was treated conservatively.

AREAS COVERED

We reviewed 60 cases of PCI described in the international literature over the last 5 years. From our analysis, it appears that the etiology of the gas production within the submucosa or the subserosa of the gastrointestinal tract is still unknown. The rupture of the cysts can lead to pneumoperitoneum that can simulate a surgical emergency.

EXPERT COMMENTARY

For patients with PCI, a conservative approach is the treatment of choice, with surgery mandatory only for complicated disease.

"Cystamatic" Review: Is Surgery Mandatory for Pneumatosis Cystoides Intestinalis?

INTRODUCTION

Pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis (PCI) is a rare condition characterized by the presence of intramural gas cysts within the small and large intestines. We describe a case of a 70-year-old man admitted to the Emergency Surgery Department for PCI who was treated conservatively.

AREAS COVERED

We reviewed 60 cases of PCI described in the international literature over the last 5 years. From our analysis, it appears that the etiology of the gas production within the submucosa or the subserosa of the gastrointestinal tract is still unknown. The rupture of the cysts can lead to pneumoperitoneum that can simulate a surgical emergency.

EXPERT COMMENTARY

For patients with PCI, a conservative approach is the treatment of choice, with surgery mandatory only for complicated disease.

Rapid reversal of colonic pneumatosis with restoration of mesenteric arterial supply

Pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis (PCI) is characterized by gas-filled cystic lesions within the wall of the large intestine and presents along a spectrum of clinical severity ranging from benign to life threatening. Etiopathogenesis is multifactorial and postulated to result from either mechanical or bacterial causes. In this report, we present a patient with chronic abdominal pain evaluated with colonoscopy revealing segmental PCI isolated to the distal colon. Further investigation revealed an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) compromising the inferior mesenteric artery takeoff. Endovascular repair of the AAA resulted in clinical resolution of abdominal pain and endoscopic resolution of PCI. To our knowledge, this is the first report to document endoscopic resolution of PCI with restoration of mesenteric arterial supply, highlighting vascular insufficiency as a predisposing and reversible pathogenic mechanism.