EMPHYSEMATOUS GASTRITIS SECONDARY TO ACUTE GASTRIC DILATATION

Emphysematous gastritis is a life-threatening disease. Although rare i n incidence, it has a fulminating course with a high mortality rate. A case of a 58 year old male with emphysematous gastritis is reported. Initially, he presented with acute gastric dilatation secondary to ano rexia/bulimia-like behaviour. Later, emphysematous gastritis developed . The abdominal sonographic findings, which have not been previously d escribed in the literature, showed intramural gas and gastric wall thi ckening. After receiving a total gastrectomy, he had a satisfactory ou tcome. The present report discusses the possible aetiologic relationsh ip between acute gastric dilatation and emphysematous gastritis, and s uggests abdominal sonography to be the first choice of diagnostic meas ure for patients with the intramural gas in the gastric wall. This is the first case of emphysematous gastritis diagnosed by abdominal sonog raphy.