Primary pneumatosis intestinalis of small bowel: a case of a rare disease

Case Rep Surg. 2014:2014:350312. doi: 10.1155/2014/350312. Epub 2014 Nov 17.

Abstract

Pneumatosis intestinalis (PI) is a condition in which multiple gas-filled cysts are located in the bowel wall; it can represent a wide spectrum of diseases and a variety of underlying diagnoses. The present report describes the case of an 86-year-old man with symptomatic primary PI of small bowel treated with surgical approach after periodic episodes of cysts rupture and superimposed inflammation revealed on the basis of a clinical suspicion thanks to abdominal computed tomography. Moreover, after one year of followup, there has been no recurrence of digestive symptoms.