Pneumatosis intestinalis and AIDS: a case report and review of the literature

Abstract

We report five AIDS patients who developed pneumatosis intestinalis and review the pertinent literature to clarify the contributory importance of underlying infections, to suggest a management plan, and to determine whether pneumatosis intestinalis alters prognosis. Of the five patients reported, three had concurrent infections including cryptosporidiosis (one patient), presumptive CMV (one patient), and toxoplasmosis of the central nervous system (one patient). One patient also had neutropenia. Another patient was immunosuppressed during treatment for lymphoma, and the fifth patient had been taking corticosteroids before the diagnosis of CNS lymphoma. In four of five patients pneumatosis involved the right colon. Pneumatosis was linear in all five patients and also was cystic in two of the five. All patients were followed conservatively without short term adverse events, despite the known association of linear pneumatosis with bowel necrosis. We advocate conservative management and an attempt to avoid surgery whenever possible.