Radiological Findings of Pneumoperitoneum in Suspected Gastric Perforation in an Elderly: A Case Report

Abstract

Introduction: Pneumoperitoneum is a medical emergency, defined as the free air presence in the peritoneal cavity [1]. The most common cause of pneumoperitoneum in adults are perforation, peritoneal dialysis, immediate postoperative status, vaginal aspiration, and mechanical ventilation. Mechanical perforations can appear after colonoscopy, endoscopy, and others [2]. There are some radiological examinations to evaluate pneumoperitoneum including plain radiographs abdomen, ultrasound, MRI, CT scan with and without contrast. Usually plain radiographs can provide significant and sensitive findings indicates the presence of abnormal intraperitoneal air in an emergency setting, however small amounts of free peritoneal air may be missed and new enclosures can be detected using computerized tomography (CT) [2].