Chronic bronchiectasis complicated with benign jejuno-ileal pneumatosis intestinalis

Patients with chronic bronchiectasis are susceptible to various respiratory complications. In this report, however, we describe a 53-year-old male with chronic bronchiectasis who developed extensive but asymptomatic jejuno-ileal pneumatosis intestinalis. The patient did not have preceding pneumothorax or pneumomediastinum, and he did not receive cytotoxic or immunosuppressive therapy. Nor did he exhibit any clinical or radiographic evidence of intestinal ischaemia, obstruction or infection. Mucosal defects, due to his severe diarrhoea relating to the prolonged anti-pseudomonal antibiotic treatment for his lungs, and the intestinal luminal pressure fluctuation, resulting from his exacerbated cough and from his frequent abdominal straining during defecation, were considered to have precipitated the condition. Following conservative treatment, the patient recovered well. In addition to adverse respiratory events, clinicians managing patients with bronchiectasis should also be alert to such an unusual extrapulmonary complication, because either neglecting the condition or unnecessary exploratory surgery may lead to hazardous outcomes.