This Article  • References  • Full text PDF  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citation map  • Citing articles on HighWire  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in this journal  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

Report of 7 Patients and Review of the Literature

John J. Hong, MD; Dominick Gadaleta, MD; Peter Rossi, MD; Jesus Esquivel, MD; John Mihran Davis, MD

Arch Surg. 1997;132(10):1071-1075.

Abstract
Objective

To assess the clinical significance of portal vein gas (PVG) demonstrated by computed tomography (CT).

Design
Review of medical records.

Setting
Three network-affiliated hospitals providing both primary community-based and tertiary services.

Methods
Review of diagnosis, clinical circumstances, and significance of PVG in 7 patients detected by CT during a 3-year period in 3 affiliated hospitals.

Results
Four of 7 patients underwent laparotomy; 1 patient refused surgery. Two patients were treated with intravenous antibiotics only and had uneventful clinical courses. Of the 3 patients who died, 1 refused and 2 underwent laparotomy.

Conclusions
This series indicates that more sensitive imaging and more widespread use of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, colonoscopy, and liver transplantation have changed the clinical presentation of PVG; PVG may be found in various clinical settings that do not mandate laparotomy; and the significance of PVG must be derived from the clinical context of the individual patient.

Arch Surg. 1997;132:1071-1075

Author Affiliations
From the Departments of Surgery, The New York Hospital—Cornell Medical Center, New York, NY (Drs Hong and Davis); the North Shore University Hospital, Manhasset, NY (Drs Gadaleta and Rossi); and The New York Hospital Medical Center of Queens, Queens (Dr Esquivel).

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati     What's this?

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Image of the Month--Diagnosis
Arch Surg 2008;143:804-804.
FULL TEXT  

Portomesenteric venous gas: imaging findings with an emphasis on sonography.
Oktar et al.
J Ultrasound Med 2006;25:1051-1058.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Radiofrequency Ablation of Liver Tumors: A New Cause of Benign Portal Venous Gas
Oei et al.
Radiology 2005;237:709-717.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Pneumatosis Intestinalis and Portomesenteric Venous Gas in Intestinal Ischemia: Correlation of CT Findings with Severity of Ischemia and Clinical Outcome
Wiesner et al.
Am. J. Roentgenol. 2001;177:1319-1323.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Portomesenteric Vein Gas: Pathologic Mechanisms, CT Findings, and Prognosis
Sebastia et al.
RadioGraphics 2000;20:1213-1224.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

A man with abdominal pain
Postgrad. Med. J. 2000;76:243c-243.
FULL TEXT