Sebastia et al identified causes of portomesenteric gas in a patient. Its significance varies from being a sign of poor prognosis to an incidental finding. The authors are from Hospital General Universitari Vall d'Hebron in Barcelona.
Patient selection: gas in portomesenteric vein
Processes associated with portomesenteric gas may include:
(1) alterations in the intestinal wall
(2) intestinal distention
(3) sepsis
Conditions associated with portomesenteric gas include:
(1) mesenteric/bowel ischemia
(2) diverticulitis, with or without hepatic abscess
(3) transiently after transplantation (liver, kidney, bone marrow)
(4) intra-abdominal tuberculosis
(5) peritonitis, intra-abdominal abscess or retroperitoneal abscess
(6) blunt trauma or barotrauma
(7) inflammatory bowel disease
(8) pneumatosis intestinalis
(9) corticosteroid therapy
(10) chronic pulmonary disease (COPD, bronchopneumonia, asthma, other)
(11) gastric or bowel dilatation (ileus, obstruction, iatrogenic, etc)
(12) pyelophlebitis
(13) perforated gastric carcinoma or ulcer
(14) seizures
(15) idiopathic
