Abstract
Introduction Pneumatosis intestinalis is rare but may be associated with life-threatening intra-abdominal conditions such as intestinal ischemia or perforation. However, it can be difficult, particularly in the very elderly, to identify candidates for immediate surgical intervention. Presentation of case A 94-year-old man with abdominal distension underwent abdominal computed tomography, which demonstrated accumulation of air bubbles within the intestinal wall and some free intraperitoneal air, suggestive of pneumatosis intestinalis. His vital signs showed evidence of systemic inflammatory response syndrome, and laboratory examination revealed inflammation and hypoxia. As the patient was frail, with his age and concomitant conditions which may have masked the symptoms and severity of his illness, immediate diagnostic laparoscopy was performed, which confirmed the diagnosis of pneumatosis intestinalis, with multiple gas-filled cysts seen within the subserosa of the small intestine. No additional surgical procedure was performed. His symptoms improved postoperatively. Discussion Optimal management of pneumatosis intestinalis in a timely manner requires a comprehensive evaluation of factors in each individual. In patients with severe symptoms, PI might be a sign of a life-threatening intra-abdominal emergency. Despite the contrast-enhanced CT and prediction markers in previous reports, it considered to be difficult to completely rule out these fatal conditions without surgery, especially in very elderly patients with poor performance status. Conclusion Diagnostic laparoscopy may be a useful option for definitively ruling out the lethal conditions associated with pneumatosis intestinalis in frail elderly patients with severe conditions in the emergency setting.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 109-113 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| Journal | Annals of Medicine and Surgery |
| Volume | 21 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Sep 1 2017 |
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All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Surgery
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Diagnostic laparoscopy for pneumatosis intestinalis in a very elderly patient : A case report. / Ito, Shuhei; Masuda, Takaaki; Harada, Noboru; Matsuyama, Ayumi; Hamatake, Motoharu; Maeda, Takashi; Tsutsui, Shinichi; Matsuda, Hiroyuki; Mimori, Koshi; Ishida, Teruyoshi.
In: Annals of Medicine and Surgery, Vol. 21, 01.09.2017, p. 109-113.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Diagnostic laparoscopy for pneumatosis intestinalis in a very elderly patient
T2 - A case report
AU - Ito, Shuhei
AU - Masuda, Takaaki
AU - Harada, Noboru
AU - Matsuyama, Ayumi
AU - Hamatake, Motoharu
AU - Maeda, Takashi
AU - Tsutsui, Shinichi
AU - Matsuda, Hiroyuki
AU - Mimori, Koshi
AU - Ishida, Teruyoshi
PY - 2017/9/1
Y1 - 2017/9/1
N2 - Introduction Pneumatosis intestinalis is rare but may be associated with life-threatening intra-abdominal conditions such as intestinal ischemia or perforation. However, it can be difficult, particularly in the very elderly, to identify candidates for immediate surgical intervention. Presentation of case A 94-year-old man with abdominal distension underwent abdominal computed tomography, which demonstrated accumulation of air bubbles within the intestinal wall and some free intraperitoneal air, suggestive of pneumatosis intestinalis. His vital signs showed evidence of systemic inflammatory response syndrome, and laboratory examination revealed inflammation and hypoxia. As the patient was frail, with his age and concomitant conditions which may have masked the symptoms and severity of his illness, immediate diagnostic laparoscopy was performed, which confirmed the diagnosis of pneumatosis intestinalis, with multiple gas-filled cysts seen within the subserosa of the small intestine. No additional surgical procedure was performed. His symptoms improved postoperatively. Discussion Optimal management of pneumatosis intestinalis in a timely manner requires a comprehensive evaluation of factors in each individual. In patients with severe symptoms, PI might be a sign of a life-threatening intra-abdominal emergency. Despite the contrast-enhanced CT and prediction markers in previous reports, it considered to be difficult to completely rule out these fatal conditions without surgery, especially in very elderly patients with poor performance status. Conclusion Diagnostic laparoscopy may be a useful option for definitively ruling out the lethal conditions associated with pneumatosis intestinalis in frail elderly patients with severe conditions in the emergency setting.
AB - Introduction Pneumatosis intestinalis is rare but may be associated with life-threatening intra-abdominal conditions such as intestinal ischemia or perforation. However, it can be difficult, particularly in the very elderly, to identify candidates for immediate surgical intervention. Presentation of case A 94-year-old man with abdominal distension underwent abdominal computed tomography, which demonstrated accumulation of air bubbles within the intestinal wall and some free intraperitoneal air, suggestive of pneumatosis intestinalis. His vital signs showed evidence of systemic inflammatory response syndrome, and laboratory examination revealed inflammation and hypoxia. As the patient was frail, with his age and concomitant conditions which may have masked the symptoms and severity of his illness, immediate diagnostic laparoscopy was performed, which confirmed the diagnosis of pneumatosis intestinalis, with multiple gas-filled cysts seen within the subserosa of the small intestine. No additional surgical procedure was performed. His symptoms improved postoperatively. Discussion Optimal management of pneumatosis intestinalis in a timely manner requires a comprehensive evaluation of factors in each individual. In patients with severe symptoms, PI might be a sign of a life-threatening intra-abdominal emergency. Despite the contrast-enhanced CT and prediction markers in previous reports, it considered to be difficult to completely rule out these fatal conditions without surgery, especially in very elderly patients with poor performance status. Conclusion Diagnostic laparoscopy may be a useful option for definitively ruling out the lethal conditions associated with pneumatosis intestinalis in frail elderly patients with severe conditions in the emergency setting.
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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85026772456&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.amsu.2017.07.058
DO - 10.1016/j.amsu.2017.07.058
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85026772456
VL - 21
SP - 109
EP - 113
JO - Annals of Medicine and Surgery
JF - Annals of Medicine and Surgery
SN - 2049-0801
ER -