Related Experiment Videos
Pneumatosis intestinalis complicating C. difficile pseudomembranous colitis
C Kreiss1, F Forohar, A E Smithline
1Division of Gastroenterology, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York 10467, USA.
The American Journal of Gastroenterology
|September 14, 1999
Summary
Pneumatosis intestinalis (PI), gas in the bowel wall, can occur secondary to infections. This case highlights a previously unrecognized complication of C. difficile infection, which resolved with treatment.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Infectious Diseases
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Pneumatosis intestinalis (PI) is defined as the presence of gas within the bowel wall.
- PI is typically secondary to various gastrointestinal disorders, with idiopathic cases being rare.
- Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is a common cause of infectious colitis.
Observation:
- A case report of an otherwise healthy adult presenting with Clostridioides difficile infection.
- The patient developed pneumatosis intestinalis as a complication of pseudomembranous colitis.
- This represents the first reported instance of CDI complicated by PI in an adult.
Findings:
- Pneumatosis intestinalis resolved within six days of presentation.
- Treatment of the underlying Clostridioides difficile infection led to the resolution of PI.
- The study reviews potential mechanisms linking CDI and PI.
Implications:
- Suggests a potential, previously unrecognized association between Clostridioides difficile infection and pneumatosis intestinalis.
- Highlights the importance of considering CDI in patients with PI, even in the absence of typical risk factors.
- Underscores the efficacy of treating the underlying infection for PI resolution in this context.