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Atypical distribution of pneumatosis intestinalis in a patient with AIDS
Vernon Sivarajah1, Nitin Kumar Ramamurthy, Susan Rowe
1Department of General Surgery, Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK. vernonsivarajah@nhs.net
Abstract:
An adult patient who had AIDS was admitted to hospital following a fall in which they sustained a T12 vertebral fracture. The patient incidentally was found to have pneumatosis intestinalis upon a thoracolumbar radiograph taken approximately 2 weeks after their admission to the hospital. At this point in time the patient reported having diarrhoea and a distended abdomen. The patient did not have any other medical history of note. Upon examination the patient appeared comfortable. The patient's abdomen was distended but soft and non-tender. Laboratory investigations revealed a chronic normocytic anaemia and neutropenia. It was likely that the pneumatosis intestinalis was AIDS related. A CT scan confirmed its presence but revealed an atypical distribution. Despite its dramatic appearance, the patient was successfully managed conservatively and remained well during admission.
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