Gastric pneumatosis in neonates: revisited

Pneumatosis intestinalis, found commonly in neonatal necrotising enterocolitis (NEC), can occur in any part of the gastrointestinal tract, from the oesophagus to the rectum. Gastric pneumatosis, defined as air within the wall of the stomach, however, is an extremely rare sign during infancy and is usually secondary to gastric outlet obstruction. The clinical course and outcome of a neonate with gastric pneumatosis associated with NEC is reported along with a brief review of the literature. The findings illustrate that gastric pneumatosis can be the presenting feature of fulminant NEC and may indicate widespread, severe gastrointestinal insult.