Abstract

RAMIREZ LOPEZ, María Isabel  and  GAINZA CARRILLO, Carlos Alberto. Pneumatose coli secondary to amoebic colitis. Case report. Gen [online]. 2025, vol.79, n.4, pp.223-227.  Epub Oct 15, 2025. ISSN 0016-3503.  https://doi.org/10.61155/gen.v79i4.789.

Pneumatosis cystica intestinalis is an uncommon finding. Defined as the presence of gas-filled cysts within the intestinal wall, it is usually considered a self-limiting condition, although severe complications have been reported in isolated cases. We report the case of a 63-year-old patient who presented with severe abdominal pain in the left flank, accompanied by hematochezia, abdominal distension, and malaise. Endoscopy revealed a concentric narrowing of the sigmoid colon with multiple erythematous ulcerations of varying sizes, interspersed with areas of normal mucosa. In addition, multiple rounded protuberances of different sizes were observed, occupying the entire lumen and showing a soft consistency when probed with biopsy forceps. These lesions extended into the descending colon, contrasting with adjacent areas of normal-appearing mucosa. Contrast-enhanced abdominal CT demonstrated thickening of the colonic wall and numerous submucosal air bubbles, without evidence of contrast extravasation, predominantly involving the descending and sigmoid colon walls. Histopathological examination confirmed ulcerations caused by Entamoeba histolytica. After medical management, the patient showed excellent clinical improvement, and follow-up ileocolonoscopy at 8 weeks revealed no pathological findings.

Keywords : colon; pneumatosis; amebic colitis; colonoscopy; Entamoeba histolytica.

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