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Computed tomography (CT) is useful in evaluating patients with pneumatosis intestinalis while excluding other causes of abdominal pain and sepsis. We present a case along with additional illustrative CT sections to show its usefulness in such cases.
BACKGROUND: A degree of feed intolerance after neonatal abdominal surgery is common but in an otherwise well baby enteral feeding usually is continued at the highest tolerated level. However, the presence of rectal bleeding, pneumatosis intestinalis, or portal vein gas seen on plain abdominal x-rays suggest the possibility of postoperative necrotising enterocolitis. When this happens feedings usually are stopped for 7 to 10 days, and intravenous antibiotics and total parental nutrition are commenced. METHODS: The authors report 12 episodes of rectal bleeding and 11 episodes of pneumatosis intestinalis in 3 infants who previously had undergone neonatal abdominal surgery for intestinal malformations. In 7 of these episodes, feedings were neither stopped nor were antibiotics given. At the time of these 7 episodes, the infants were more than 3 kg in weight, had no significant cardiac or respiratory pathology, were all clinically stable, had no evidence of peritonitis, had no thrombocytopenia, and were greater than 37 weeks postconception. RESULTS: The 3 infants were monitored closely. There were no early or late problems observed attributable to this management. CONCLUSION: Carefully selected clinically stable patients that have postoperative pneumatosis intestinalis or exhibit rectal bleeding may be successfully managed by reduced enteral feedings with no antibiotics. J Pediatr Surg 36:1820-1823.
A case of a young woman with a 3-year history of mixed connective tissue disease who developed secondary pneumatosis intestinalis and pneumoperitoneum and died shortly after of rapidly progressive disease is reported. The pathogenesis, treatment and prognosis of this unusual complication in mixed connective tissue disease are discussed.
Sonography was performed on an 11-month old infant who presented with intestinal obstruction. Pneumatosis intestinalis and portal venous gas were detected in addition to dilated small bowel loops. Preoperative diagnosis of small bowel gangrene was made which was proven at operation.
The clinical and pathologic data in 18 patients in whom pneumatosis intestinalis developed after bone marrow transplantation were reviewed to determine the significance of this finding. The colon, predominantly the right side, was involved in 17 of the 18 cases. Pneumatosis intestinalis developed earlier in the 14 symptomatic patients than in the four asymptomatic patients. Symptoms included diarrhea (12 patients), abdominal pain (six patients), rectal bleeding (two patients), and abdominal distension (two patients). Factors contributing to the development of pneumatosis intestinalis included pretransplantation chemotherapy and radiotherapy, steroid therapy, infectious colitis, graft-versus-host disease, and septic shock. Intestinal disease contributed to the deaths of seven patients with pneumatosis intestinalis, necessitated right hemicolectomy in another patient, and resolved with conservative treatment in 10 patients. In summary, bone marrow transplant recipients with pneumatosis intestinalis may follow either a benign or fatal course, depending on the underlying condition of the patient. Clinical correlation is important in determining the significance of this finding.
Pneumatosis intestinalis (PI) is characterized by multiple gas cysts in the wall of the gastrointestinal tract. Primary PI is extremely rare. In most of the cases PI is due to an underlying disease (traumatic and mechanical, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, infectious and pulmonary diseases, drug induced, immunosuppression, transplantation, or neoplasm). A 69-year-old woman was treated with mixed connective tissue disease and PI twice operatively and once conservatively in our department. Review of the English literature showed 13 more cases of PI with underlying mixed connective tissue disease. Most published cases of pneumatosis intestinalis with radiological finding of pneumoperitoneum were treated conservatively and should have not been considered as a reason for surgery. Therefore, the treatment of PI can present as a major dilemma for the surgeon.
BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Localized intestinal perforation (LP) is thought to be a distinct entity when compared with perforation associated with necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). Studies have indicated that LP is more amenable to percutaneous drainage and associated with a better outcome. We sought to determine whether LP and NEC could be distinguished based on clinical parameters alone. METHODS: A retrospective review of 40 neonates with gastrointestinal perforations between January 1990 and May 1998 was performed. All had undergone laparotomy and had histologic specimens available for evaluation. RESULTS: Twenty-one neonates had necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), and 19 had localized perforation (LP) based on histologic criteria. More neonates with LP were exposed to prenatal indomethacin (37% v 5%; P <.05), received intravenous dexamethasone (42% v 10%; P <.05), had umbilical artery catheters (63% v 14%; P <.05), and had a higher white blood cell (WBC) count (27.1 +/- 23.1 v 14.3 +/- 11.5; P <.05). More neonates with NEC had pneumatosis intestinalis (47% v 11%; P <.05). No significant differences existed in enteral feeding (16% LP v 38% NEC) or overall mortality rate (37% LP v 38% NEC). No statistical differences in the timing of perforation or clinical presentation were found. CONCLUSIONS: NEC and LP are difficult to distinguish based on clinical parameters alone. The authors did find associations between LP and prenatal indomethacin, intravenous dexamethasone, umbilical artery catheters, and a higher WBC count. Mortality rate and clinical outcome were nearly identical in both groups. Pneumatosis intestinalis, thought to be pathognomonic for NEC, was seen on abdominal radiograph in 2 babies with histologically proven LP.
In the absence of abdominal operative procedures, symptomless spontaneous pneumoperitoneum is uncommon. The case is described of a patient with jejunal diverticulosis who developed spontaneous pneumoperitoneum on three occasions and brief details are given of six other cases of jejunal diverticulosis with pneumoperitoneum from the literature. Other causes of symptomless pneumoperitoneum include pneumatosis intestinalis, perforation in tabes dorsalis or coma, stercoral ulceration, physiological pneumoperitoneum in women due to exercise in the knee-elbow position, and vaginal douches with a bulb syringe or effervescent fluid.
Portal venous gas is a well-established radiological finding in neonates. With the advancement in diagnostic imaging, more cases are being reported in adults. We present a 55-year-old man with radiological findings of both portal venous gas and pneumatosis intestinalis secondary to ischaemic necrotising enterocolitis, with subsequent fatality. The significance of finding portal venous gas and its possible aetiology is discussed.
Pneumatosis Intestinalis (gas in the bowel wall) is uncommon in children and is associated with a number of clinical conditions most notably necrotizing enterocolitis in sick neonates. We observed portal venous gas on sonography and benign pneumatosis intestinalis on abdominal radiography in two children who had recently undergone liver transplantation. Asymptomatic portal venous gas and pneumatosis intestinalis has not been described previously in pediatric liver transplant patients. It is important to recognize the sonographic appearance of portal venous gas since sonography is the imaging modality most frequently utilized for monitoring the allograft post liver transplantation.
Pneumatosis intestinalis occurred in a patient with a primary cytomegaloviral (CMV) infection with pneumonitis 6 weeks after single lung transplantation for primary pulmonary hypertension. The possible causal relationship between pneumatosis intestinalis, an uncommon disorder with an obscure pathogenesis, and active CMV infection has been observed before; however, to our knowledge, this is the first report of this combination after lung transplantation. The patient had no abdominal complaints, and after treatment of the CMV infection, the pneumatosis intestinalis resolved spontaneously. The early diagnosis of active CMV infection and the prevention of unnecessary abdominal surgery were essential in this case.
This paper presents the case history of a female patient with systemic lupus erythematosus, in whom pneumatosis intestinalis developed. The lesions disappeared in response to oxygen therapy. Arteriography revealed evidence of mesenteric arteritis. The patient subsequently developed paralytic ileus with lesions of the intestinal wall, probably based on ischemia as a result of this arteritis.
Three children with leukaemia (one with acute myeloid, two with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia) developed pneumatosis intestinalis during cytostatic treatment. The aetiology of pneumatosis intestinalis in these children could not be elucidated. Pneumatosis intestinalis may be caused by entry of gas into a bowel wall which is altered by steroid or cytostatic treatment. Otherwise, anaerobic bacteria may produce gas in the intestinal walls, therefore we treated all children with metronidazole.
Two young female patients with established mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) are described, in whom the disease course was complicated by intestinal pseudo-obstruction and pneumoperitoneum due to pneumatosis intestinalis. Conservative management of this rare complication in MCTD, which included the use of high-flow normobaric oxygen by mask, led to a complete resolution of the abdominal symptoms in both patients.
Pneumatosis intestinalis is a rare condition in which gas is found in the bowel wall. It exists in a primary form or can be secondary to an underlying pathology. We present three cases of patients in whom pneumatosis intestinalis was caused by ischaemic bowel. In all three cases, the diagnosis was made using CT scan. A partial bowel resection with ileocolic anastomosis was performed in every case. All patients fully recovered after surgery.
A rare case of pneumatosis intestinalis is described in a patient with appendicitis. Gas in the colonic wall, epiploic appendices and mesentery caused a new appearance not previously reported on plain radiography or CT. The relevance of an associated redundant right colon is also discussed.
A fullterm newborn infant two weeks of age, suffering from congestive heart failure due to a large patent ductus arteriosus, deteriorated suddenly presenting with a paralytic ileus. Radiographically diffuse intestinal pneumatosis and gas in the portal vein system could be shown. A mechanical reason was excluded by laparotomy shortly after which the infang died. Out of blood Klebsiella pneumonia could be grown. A survey of the literature on the syndrome of pneumatosis intestinalis and gas embolization into the portal vein system in the neonatal age group disclosed 41 cases. Based on this material etiology radiological features, differential diagnosis, prognosis and treatment is discussed in detail.
BACKGROUND: The condition of pneumatosis intestinalis is characterized by gas in the intestinal wall, with a variety of causes. CASE: A septic patient with intestinal pneumatosis, locally advanced ovarian cancer, and Sister Joseph's Nodule. CONCLUSION: The clinical significance of this rare combination of symptoms and signs is discussed.