Yoichi Sakurai, Masahiro Hikichi, Jun Isogaki, Shinpei Furuta, Risaburo Sunagawa, Kazuki Inaba, Yoshiyuki Komori, Ichiro Uyama
WORLD JOURNAL OF GASTROENTEROLOGY 14(43) 6753-6756 2008年11月
While pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis (PCI) is a rare disease entity associated with a wide variety of gastrointestinal and non-gastrointestinal disorders, PCI associated with massive intra- and retroperitoneal free air is extremely uncommon, and is difficult to diagnose differentially from perforated peritonitis. We present two cases of PCI associated with massive peritoneal free air and/or retroperitoneal air that mimicked perforated peritonitis. These cases highlight the clinical importance of PCI that mimics perforated peritonitis, which requires emergency surgery. Preoperative imaging modalities and diagnostic laparoscopy are useful to make an accurate diagnosis. (C) 2008 The WIG Press. All rights reserved.