Three cases of pneumatosis intestinalis presenting in autoimmune diseases

Vol.22 No.4

Case Report

Three cases of pneumatosis intestinalis presenting in autoimmune diseases

Authors

Akihiro Sagara^1,2 , Kiyoki Kitagawa² , Kengo Furuichi² , Shinji Kitajima² , Tadashi Toyama² , Toshiya Okumura^1,2 , Akinori Hara² , Yoshio Sakai³ , Shuichi Kaneko² , Takashi Wada³

Department of Nephrology and Hypertension, Tonami General Hospital, 1-61, Sintomicho, Tonami, 939-1395, Japan
Department of Disease Control and Homeostasis, Institute of Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Kanazawa University, 13-1 Takara-machi, Kanazawa, 920-8641, Japan
Department of Laboratory Medicine, Institute of Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Kanazawa University, 13-1 Takara-machi, Kanazawa, 920-8641, Japan

Received:

15 June 2011

Accepted:

18 October 2011

Published online:

9 November 2011

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Abstract

Pneumatosis intestinalis (PI) is a comparatively rare disease characterized by the presence of intramural gas in the gastrointestinal tract. PI is known to be associated with several clinical conditions, such as pulmonary diseases, gastrointestinal diseases, and traumatic injury, as well as autoimmune disorders. In particular, PI is commonly seen in systemic sclerosis (SSc) but rarely in systemic lupus erythematosus and dermatomyositis (DM). In this report, we present three cases of PI presenting in autoimmune diseases, including DM, Sjögren’s syndrome, and limited SSc, and further discuss its background characteristics.

Key words

Pneumatosis intestinalis - Autoimmune diseases