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A case of hepatic portal venous gas due to viral gastroenteritis

Authors Mirmanesh M, Nguyen Q, Markelov A

Received 19 August 2013

Accepted for publication 19 September 2013

Published 21 October 2013 Volume 2013:5 Pages 63—65

DOI https://doi.org/10.2147/HMER.S53241

Checked for plagiarism Yes

Review by Single anonymous peer review

Peer reviewer comments 2



Michael Mirmanesh,1 Quoc-Sy Nguyen,1 Alexey Markelov2

1Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA; 2Department of Surgery, Easton Hospital, Easton, PA, USA

Introduction: Hepatic portal venous gas is the presence of gas within the portal venous system that can result from a variety of insults to the gastrointestinal system, and which may be a diagnostic clue to ominous abdominal pathologies, such as acute bowel ischemia or necrosis.
Case: We report a case of a 71-year-old man with acute onset abdominal pain whose initial radiologic testing showed extensive portal venous gas. The patient was managed conservatively with resolution of portal venous gas on day 2 of hospitalization. The findings were consistent with a final diagnosis of hepatic portal venous gas caused by viral gastroenteritis.
Conclusion: History and physical examination along with presenting signs and symptoms, in conjunction with imaging studies, are vital to delineate the cause of hepatic portal venous gas. In the absence of alarming signs and symptoms, hepatic portal venous gas can be conservatively managed without the need for invasive surgical exploration.

Keywords: hepatic portal venous gas, portal venous gas, portal venous air, hepatic venous gas, hepatic venous air, gastroenteritis


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