SUCCESSFUL CONSERVATIVE TREATMENT OF PNEUMATOSIS INTESTINALIS AND PORTOMESENTERIC VENOUS GAS IN A PATIENT WITH SEPTIC SHOCK Chen-Te Chou,1,3 Wei-Wen Su,2 and Ran-Chou Chen3,4 1Department of Radiology, Changhua Christian Hospital, Er-Lin branch, 2Department of Gastroenterology, Changhua Christian Hospital, 3Department of Biomedical Imaging and Radiological Science, National Yang-Ming University, and 4Department of Radiology, Taipei City Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan. Pneumatosis intestinalis (PI) and portomesenteric venous gas (PMVG) are alarming radiological findings that signify bowel ischemia. The management of PI and PMVG remain a challenging task because clinicians must balance the potential morbidity associated with unnecessary sur- gery with inevitable mortality if the necrotic bowel is not resected. The combination of PI, portal venous gas, and acidosis typically indicates bowel ischemia and, inevitably, necrosis. We report a patient with PI and PMVG caused by septic shock who completely recovered after conservative treatment. Key Words: bowel ischemia, computed tomography, pneumatosis intestinalis, portal venous gas, portomesenteric venous gas (Kaohsiung J Med Sci 2010;26:105–8) Pneumatosis intestinalis (PI) and portomesenteric CASE PRESENTATION venous gas (PMVG) are alarming radiologic findings that signify bowel ischemia [1]. PI and PMVG are A 78-year-old woman who presented with intermittent often described as an advanced sign of bowel injury, fever for 3 days was referred to the emergency depart- indicating irreversible injury caused by transmural ment of our hospital. The patient had a history of ischemia [2]. Bowel ischemia may be associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus, congestive heart failure, and perforation and has a high mortality rate. Many au- prior cerebral infarct. He had undergone right nephrec- thorities advocate an aggressive surgical approach to tomy due to renal cell carcinoma. Other symptoms of treat PI [3,4]. We report a patient with PI and PMVG the patient included shortness of breath, drowsy con- caused by septic shock who completely recovered sciousness, abdominal fullness, and epigastric pain. after conservative treatment. Physical examination revealed fever (38.5°C), diffuse abdominal tenderness, and icteric sclera. Laboratory studies revealed leukocytosis (white Received: Apr 23, 2009 Accepted: Jun 15, 2009 blood cells, 19,200 cells/mm3), slight hypoglycemia Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Dr Ran Chou Chen, Department of Radiology, (58 mg/dL), elevated blood urea nitrogen (43 mg/dL), Taipei City Hospital Renai branch, 10 Section 4, creatinine (3.3 mg/dL) and γ-glutamyl transpeptidase Renai Road, Taipei 106, Taiwan. (201 U/L) levels, an electrolyte imbalance (sodium/ E-mail: [email protected] potassium, 132/3.2 mmol/L), mild bleeding tendency Kaohsiung J Med Sci February 2010 • Vol 26 • No 2 105 © 2010 Elsevier. All rights reserved. C.T. Chou, W.W. Su, and R.C. Chen (prothrombin time/activated partial thromboplastin initially prescribed for her intra-abdominal infection. time, 14.4/44.1 seconds) and hyperbilirubinemia Ceftriaxone was then changed to ceftaxime (200 mg (total/direct, 4.95/4.31 mg/dL). She was mildly aci- every 12 hours) due to persistent fever on day 3 of demic upon examination, with an arterial pH of 7.33 admission. Escherichia coli, Morganella morganii, and and a partial CO2 of 26 mmHg. Progressive shortness Pseudomonas aeruginosa were isolated from the blood of breath and unstable hemodynamics with a decrease culture 6 days later. in blood pressure to 70/38 mmHg developed the same The general condition of the patient improved after day, and the patient was transferred to our intensive conservative treatment and the jaundice subsided. A care unit. follow-up CT scan was done 4 days after the conserva- Endotracheal intubation was done due to respira- tive treatment and depicted no obvious PI and PMVG tory distress because the chest X-ray film revealed mild together with normal enhancement of the intestine pulmonary edema. An emergency abdominal com- wall (Figure C). Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopan- puted tomography (CT) scan was arranged following creatography was scheduled after her hemodynam- the development of progressive abdominal pain, ab- ics had stabilized and revealed stenosis of the distal dominal distention and peritoneal signs. The CT scan common bile duct. Subsequent sphinterectomy with revealed PI with poor mucosal enhancement of the biliary stent placement was done. The patient was ileum, in addition to PMVG (Figures A and B). No discharged in good condition after 3 weeks. occlusion of the main trunk or ileal branches of the superior mesenteric artery was noted. There was also mild dilatation of the common bile duct and intrahe- DISCUSSION patic ducts. Because we suspected bowel ischemia with transmural necrosis, an emergency operation was rec- Bowel ischemia or infarction caused by insufficient ommended for the patient. However, because of her blood flow to the intestine has various causes, age and the high mortality rate associated with surgery including thromboembolism, non-occlusive causes, for this condition, the patient’s family chose conser- bowel obstruction, neoplasms, vasculitis, abdominal vative treatment instead of surgery. The patient was inflammatory conditions, trauma, drugs, radiation, given supportive therapy, which included fasting and corrosive injury. The presence of PMVG and PI is with fluid replacement and total parenteral nutrition. predictive of bowel infarction. Mortality rates have Empiric antibiotics with metronidazole (500 mg every been reported to exceed 75% in patients in whom PI 8 hours) and ceftriaxone (200 mg every day) were and PMVG are both seen on plain films [5,6]. PI and A B C Figure. A 78-year-old woman with septic shock and peritoneal signs. (A) Axial computed tomography (CT) scan showed pneumato- sis intestinalis (black arrow) and air collection in the mesenteric vein (white arrow). Dilatation of the ileum with poor enhancement of the mucosal layer was also noted. (B) A coronal reformatted CT scan revealed PI (black arrow), portomesenteric venous air (white arrow), and portal air in the liver (arrowhead). (C) A follow-up CT scan was done 4 days after the conservative treatment. The coronal reformatted CT showed no air collection in the bowel wall or the portomesenteric vein. Normal enhancement of the small intestine, without obvious dilatation was noted. 106 Kaohsiung J Med Sci February 2010 • Vol 26 • No 2 Conservative treatment of PI and PMVG PMVG can be detected early by a CT scan and the con- after conservative treatment may indicate a good prog- current findings are predictive of bowel ischemia [2,7]. nosis for recovery. Careful monitoring and selection of About 91% of patients with both PMVG and PI show patients may help to avoid unnecessary exploratory transmural bowel infarction [7]. Fortunately, the bowel surgery. ischemia associated with PI and PMVG was reversible in this patient and she recovered uneventfully. 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Survival in peritonitis, ischemia, or perforation were seen in the nonocclusive mesenteric ischemia: early diagnosis by patients in the above reports. To our knowledge, ours multidetector row computed tomography and early treatment with continuous intravenous high-dose is the first case of PI and PMVG associated with peri- prostaglandin E1.