Sign
Pneumatosis intestinalis
Gas trapped within the wall of the bowel, seen on an abdominal radiograph, and a hallmark of necrotizing enterocolitis in a preterm infant.
- Found
- Abdominal radiograph, where intramural gas appears as a linear or bubbly lucency outlining the bowel wall.
- Normal
- Bowel gas confined to the lumen, with no gas within the bowel wall.
- Abnormal
- Gas within the submucosa or subserosa of the bowel wall, seen as a bubbly or linear pattern that traces the wall.
- Suggests
- Necrotizing enterocolitis, where it is the characteristic radiographic finding of bowel wall injury.
- Exceptions
- It also occurs with bowel obstruction, ischemia or other intestinal injury, so it does not by itself prove necrotizing enterocolitis.