Pneumatosis Intestinalis
Etiology
Benign Etiologies
- Pulmonary
- Asthma
- Bronchitis
- Emphysema
- Pulmonary fibrosis
- Positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP)
- Cystic fibrosis
- Systemic disease
- Intestinal causes
- Pyloric stenosis
- Intestinal pseudoobstruction
- Enteritis
- Peptic ulcers
- Bowel obstruction
- Adynamic ileus
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Ulcerative colitis
- Crohn’s disease
- Leukemia
- Perforated jejunal diverticulum
- Whipple’s disease
- Intestinal parasites
- Collagen vascular disease (especially scleroderma)
- Diverticulitis
- Iatrogenic
- Barium enema
- Jejunoileal bypass
- Jejunostomy tubes
- Postsurgical anastomosis
- Endoscopy
- Medications
- Corticosteroids
- Chemotherapeutic agents
- Lactulose
- Sorbitol
- Voglibose
- Organ transplantation
- Bone marrow
- Kidney
- Liver
- Cardiac
- Lung
- Graft versus host
- Primary pneumatosis
- Idiopathic (up to 15% of cases and usually involves the colon)
- Pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis
Life-Threatening Etiologies
- Intestinal ischemia
- Mesenteric vascular disease
- Intestinal obstruction (especially strangulation)
- Enteritis
- Colitis
- Ingestion of corrosive agents
- Toxic megacolon
- Trauma
- Organ transplantation (especially bone marrow transplants)
- Collagen vascular disease
References