[Emphysematous gastritis. Report of a case in the elderly]

Emphysematous gastritis is an uncommon pathology but with high mortality, its clinical presentation is insidious, the tomography image is distinguished by a pattern of linear bubbles with thickening of the gastric wall.

This is a 78-year-old male, previously healthy, functional, who was admitted for pertrochanteric fracture of the left hip, who during hospitalization presented hyperactive delirium, abdominal distention with decreased perstalsis in addition to arterial hypotension, an abdominal tomography with evidence of gastric dilation and multiple air bubbles in the wall. He is managed with a broad spectrum antibiotic, fluid therapy and parenteral nutrition, with a favorable response.

Advanced age does not in itself lead to a worse disease prognosis, the evidence supports that early diagnosis and early therapeutic intervention are the measures that have proven to be more effective in reducing mortality in patients with emphysematous gastritis.