Intraperitoneal and retroperitoneal extensive free air bubbles due to decompression illness

Abstract

Decompression illness (DCI) is a rare condition caused by air bubbles that arise because of a rapid decrease in ambient pressure. These air bubbles exert both physical and chemical effects associated with a range of findings from asymptomatic clinical presentation to death. In the literature, changes in consciousness, severe musculoskeletal and abdominal pain, respiratory distress, and skin changes have been described. The diagnosis of DCI is difficult, but anamnesis and physical examination are helpful. Radiologic evaluation is useful for determining possible complications in patients with severe disease and excluding other acute pathologies. In computed tomography (CT) images of patients diagnosed with DCI, air bubbles in the portal venous system, iliac and mesenteric veins, the vena cava inferior (VCI), and the cerebral and spinal arteries have been described before. Herein, we present the clinical and CT findings of two cases of DCI with extensive intra-abdominal free bubbles evident on abdominal CT.