Video Tip: Diagnosing Pneumatosis Cystoides Intestinalis | August 2022-Diagnosing Pneumatosis Cystoides Intestinalis

Video Transcription

This ASG video tip is brought to you by an educational grant from Braintree, a part of Cibela Pharmaceuticals, makers of SUTAB.  This is a 66-year-old man who is undergoing his first colonoscopy, and this is for the indication of a positive fecal immunochemical test. However, he reports no symptoms.  There is no rectal bleeding and no diarrhea. You can see that there are a number of lesions in the ascending colon, and these extend distally into the transverse colon.  The correct answer is pneumatosis. This is the cystic form of pneumatosis. It's been associated with a variety of medical conditions, including COPD, but sometimes  you just can't figure out the underlying cause of it. You can confirm the diagnosis by a CT scan, which will show the cysts, or you can stick a needle in them and deflate them.  I don't know that you need to do that. I've done it a number of times. You just get air back, and the cyst deflates, and the patient should know about it because  it can present on CT as benign pneumoperitoneum.

Video Summary

In this ASG video tip sponsored by Braintree, a 66-year-old man is having his first colonoscopy after testing positive for fecal immunochemical test. Despite having no symptoms like rectal bleeding or diarrhea, several lesions are discovered in his ascending and transverse colon. The correct diagnosis is pneumatosis, specifically the cystic form, which can have various underlying causes, including COPD. Confirmation can be done through a CT scan or needle deflation. However, deflation may not be necessary as it simply releases air and the patient should be informed as it can appear as benign pneumoperitoneum on the CT scan.

Keywords

ASG video tip

Braintree

colonoscopy

pneumatosis

cystic form