title: Pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis associated with massive free air mimicking perforated diffuse peritonitis.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, 1-98 Dengakugakubo Kutsukake-cho, Toyoake Aichi 470-1192, Japan. ysakurai@fujita-hu.ac.jp
authors.forename: Yoichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sakurai
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hikichi
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Isogaki
authors.forename: Shinpei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Furuta
authors.forename: Risaburo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sunagawa
authors.forename: Kazuki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Inaba
authors.forename: Yoshiyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Komori
authors.forename: Ichiro
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Uyama
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000388:Air; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010538:Peritonitis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011006:Pneumatosis Cystoides Intestinalis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011859:Radiography; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed