ABSTRACT
Pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis (PCI) is a relatively uncommon disease or condition of previously unknown etiology that is characterized by the presence of gas-filled cysts within the walls of some part of the gastrointestinal (Gl) tract. The gas-filled cysts of PCI can occur in any part of the GI tract from the esophagus to the rectum. PCI has been found in association with several pulmonary conditions such as emphysema, pneumomediastinum, or chronic lung disease. The patient may complain of nausea and vomiting, increased abdominal girth, crampy abdominal pain, an alteration of bowel function such as constipation or diarrhea, excessive flatulence, mucus or blood in the stools, rectal urgency, or fecal incontinence. Asymptomatic primary PCI may need no treatment. The cysts may spontaneously disappear or remain unchanged for long periods of time. The prevention of PCI depends upon our understanding of the etiology of the disease.
