Portal venous gas on computed tomography imaging in patients with decompression sickness

It has been reported that portal venous gas is rarely found on computed tomography (CT) imaging in patients with decompression sickness (DCS). However, we propose that this is not true because we have encountered several patients with DCS who presented with portal venous gas on CT before hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT). Here, we review our charts and present these patients' characteristics.

We treated 37 patients with DCS from April 2007 to September 2011. Nine of these 37 patients underwent CT (thoracic, abdominal, or both) on admission because of dyspnea and other reasons. In four of nine patients, portal venous gas was incidentally found on CT. All patients were male, and three of them were SCUBA (self-contained underwater breathing apparatus) divers. Most of the patients did not have abdominal complaints. Three of four patients presented with gas in other abdominal areas (e.g., mesentery or inferior vena cava). HBOT (United States Navy Treatment Table 6) was performed in all patients, and abdominal CT performed after HBOT in three of four patients revealed the complete disappearance of portal venous gas and other venous gases. One patient died, and the remaining patients survived without any complications.

Most patients with DCS do not require CT examination before HBOT. However, if all patients with DCS undergo abdominal CT, the presence of portal venous gas in these patients may no longer be a rare finding. Although routine CT is not required for patients with DCS, it might be helpful for diagnosis.