Pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis: a rare cause of nonsurgical pneumoperitoneum in an infant

Abstract

The authors describe a 3-year-old boy with pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis (PCI) and associated duodenal stenosis who came to them with abdominal pain, significant abdominal distension, large gastric residue, and pneumoperitoneum. PCI is a rare condition in children characterized by the presence of multiple gas-filled cysts within the wall of some part of gastrointestinal tract that may break and cause pneumoperitoneum without an intestinal perforation. Even if in most cases the standard treatment is surgical, to keep in mind this rare condition could be useful to adopt a most rational treatment approach and avoid unnecessary operation in case of "benign" pneumoperitoneum.