Open AccessExtensive pneumatosis intestinalis and portal venous gas mimicking mesenteric ischaemia in a patient with SARS-CoV-2
Author(s) -
Jennifer Kielty,
William P. Duggan,
Michael O’Dwyer
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
annals of the royal college of surgeons of england
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.39
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1478-7083
pISSN - 0035-8843
DOI - 10.1308/rcsann.2020.0145
Subject(s) - pneumatosis intestinalis , medicine , radiology , mesenteric ischemia , acute abdomen , abdomen , computed tomography , bowel resection , ischemia , surgery
We present the case of a critically ill 47-year-old man diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) who developed extensive pneumatosis intestinalis and portal venous gas in conjunction with an acute abdomen during the recovery phase of his acute lung injury. A non-surgical conservative approach was taken as the definitive surgical procedure; a complete small-bowel resection was deemed to be associated with an unacceptably high long-term morbidity. However, repeat computed tomography four days later showed complete resolution of the original computed tomography findings. Pneumatosis intestinalis from non-ischaemic origins has been described in association with norovirus and cytomegalovirus. To our knowledge, this is the first time that this has been described in COVID-19.