Pneumatosis intestinalis in patients with Crohn's disease

Abstract

The prevalence, predictors, and significance of pneumatosis were determined in 50 patients with Crohn's disease who had abdominal CT scans to rule out abscess. The presence or absence of six CT descriptors and 17 clinical descriptors was documented. CT scans of a control group of 50 subjects without inflammatory bowel disease were also examined. Data was analyzed by two-sample t tests and Fisher's exact test. Pneumatosis was found in six of 50 patients with Crohn's disease and in none of the controls. Corticosteroid treatment was the single clinical variable relating significantly (P = 0.025) to pneumatosis, although trends toward absence of resection, short duration of illness, and more severe anemia were also evident in this group. This study suggests that the presence of pneumatosis alone does not dictate a specific course of treatment, but when pneumatosis is present, careful monitoring is required and therapy is based on the overall clinical picture.

Answer

“…Patients with Crohn’s disease and under steroid treatment have higher risk of PI than those without steroids 3. Our patient and a review of the literature suggests that if clinically stable, such patients can be treated conservatively.…”

Pneumatose cística intestinal

“…O desenvolvimento da pneumatose cística intestinal pode estar associado à doença de Crohn (9,10) , patologia gastrointestinal e pulmonar, colagenase, AIDS, transplantados, agentes imunossupressores (5,10,11) , e a procedimentos endoscópicos que lesem a mucosa, como a polipectomia ou biópsia de mucosa intestinal (5) . Na etiopatogenia da pneumatose cística intestinal deve-se levar em consideração a existência de quatro teorias, a mecânica, a bacteriana, a pulmonar e a que se refere a lesão da mucosa intestinal (3,12) .…”

Pneumatosis Coli in the Setting of Severe Ulcerative Colitis: A Case Report

“…Only a handful of cases of pneumatosis coli in patients with inflammatory bowel disease, either ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease, have been published (8,(17)(18)(19)(20)(21). Patients with ulcerative colitis are thought to be at risk for the development of pneumatosis coli for 2 reasons.…”