Computed Tomography Images of a Benign Case of Gastric Pneumatosis in a Returning Traveler

Cureus. 2024 Sep 8;16(9):e68916. doi: 10.7759/cureus.68916. eCollection 2024 Sep.

Abstract

A 70-year-old male presented to the emergency department with travel-associated vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. He was found to have gastric pneumatosis on computed tomography. His serum lactic acid level was within normal limits, and he had a benign clinical course. Gastric pneumatosis can be found in a wide spectrum of clinical situations, from benign to life-threatening. Causes can include ischemia, infections with gas-producing organisms (emphysematous gastritis), or various situations that result in increased intraluminal pressure. As this patient had not recently undergone any endoscopic procedures and had a benign presentation and clinical course, the cause, in this case, is presumed to be related to vigorous retching during a bout of traveler's gastroenteritis.

Keywords: computed tomography abdomen; gastric pneumatosis; gastroenteritis complication; travel-related infection; vigorous vomiting.

Publication types

  • Case Reports