title: [Atypical appearance of pneumatosis intestinalis at multidetector CT].
abstract: Pneumatosis intestinalis may be caused by bowel ischemia and may display different patterns of appearance. We report a case of pneumatosis intestinalis with an atypical target pattern, detected by multidetector computed tomography (CT) in a 66-year-old male presenting with acute abdominal syndrome. Abdominal CT scan showed a double gas collection within the wall of a jejunal segment, with a characteristic target air distribution. The patient was surgically treated and successfully discharged from our hospital with the diagnosis of acute bowel ischemia. The target air sign can be an initial CT finding of the typical pneumatosis intestinalis and it can be useful in the early diagnosis of bowel ischemia.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento Interdisciplinare di Medicina, Universita Aldo Moro.
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Lorusso
authors.forename: Antonio Amato
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Stabile Ianora
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rubini
authors.forename: Matteo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Losco
authors.forename: Artor
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Niccoli Asabella
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fonio
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moschetta
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D061330:Multidetector Computed Tomography; D011006:Pneumatosis Cystoides Intestinalis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*