CASE REPORTS   

Minerva Chirurgica 2007 December;62(6):497-502

Copyright © 2007 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: Italian

Spontaneus pneumoperitoneum: a case secondary to thoracic trauma

Urso G. ¹, Palladino E. ¹, Andriulo N. ¹, Marinelli T. ¹, Perrotta N. ¹, Loffredo D. ¹, Genova G. ²

¹ Presidio ospedaliero di Villa d’Agri Unità Operativa Complessa di Chirurgia Generale Azienda Sanitaria USL 2 di Potenza, Potenza 2 Dipartimento di Chirurgia Generale Urgenza, e Trapianti d’Organo Università degli Studi di Palermo, Palermo

Spontaneous pneumoperitoneum is the radiographic manifestation of free air in the peritoneal cavity without visceral perforations and peritoneal signs, and it occurs in about 10% of the cases of pneumoperitoneum. The etiology can be postoperative, thoracic, abdominal, gynecologic, idiopathic; it generally introduces a benign evolution and does not require surgical treatment but just a conservative ap-proach. The authors describe here a case of spontaneous pneumoperitoneum secondary to thoracic trauma. This case is interesting for the occurrence of pneumoperitoneum without clinical peritoneal signs such as fever and leucocytosis, after closed thoracic trauma in absence of pneumothoracic and pneumomediastinum. Correct clinical approach has allowed a conservative treatment avoiding an useless laparotomy.