J Acute Care Surg.  2017 Oct;7(2):83-86. 10.17479/jacs.2017.7.2.83.

Delayed Pneumatosis Intestinalis Induced by Blunt Trauma in a Strangulated Small Intestine

• Noh D
• Cho HM
• Lee CK
• Kim SH
• Yeo KH

• KMID: 2395637
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.17479/jacs.2017.7.2.83

Abstract

An ischemia-reperfusion injury of the intestine due to blunt trauma is very rare. Low blood flow can result in an incarceration and an ischemia-reperfusion injury of the small intestine. A 63-year-old woman fell, producing a splenic rupture. Despite the successful angio-embolization of the splenic rupture, the patient continued to suffer from hypotension. During laparotomy to identify the bowel injury, no intestinal perforation was found. However, we found a hemorrhagic infarction of the small intestine with congestion of the submucosal blood vessels. The part of bowel with the hemorrhagic infarction was resected and reconstructed with a jejuno-colic anastomosis. After surgery, she recovered from the trauma and was discharged without complications. We present this ischemia-reperfusion injury of the intestine due to blunt trauma. Meticulous examination and computed tomography scan is mandatory for diagnosis and assessment of treatment outcome.

Keyword

Blunt trauma; Pneumatosis intestinalis; Strangulation; Fall down; Small bowel

MeSH Terms

Blood Vessels
Diagnosis
Estrogens, Conjugated (USP)
Female
Humans
Hypotension
Infarction
Intestinal Perforation
Intestine, Small*
Intestines
Laparotomy
Middle Aged
Reperfusion Injury
Splenic Rupture
Treatment Outcome
Estrogens, Conjugated (USP)