Snapshot quiz (March 2022)

Pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis. As ischaemia could not be excluded, exploratory laparotomy was performed. Thin, gas-filled cysts were seen throughout the serosa of the colon and mesocolon. The bowel was viable and therefore not resected. The patient made an uneventful recovery. The pathophysiology of this clinical sign is unknown, but it is associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and immunosuppression.