Digestive pneumatosis - A right colon cystic form of linear aspect on the scan

Introduction Digestive pneumatosis corresponds to the presence of air in a wall of digestive tract. It is common to oppose primary cystic-type pneumatosis, involving the left colon, with linear-type pneumatosis that may affect the whole of the digestive tract. Observation In a 41 year-old man presenting with Sharp's syndrome, abdominal pain occurred revealing an isolated right colon pneumatosis. Although abdominal tomodensitometry showed a strictly linear pneumatosis, colposcopy revealed voluminous cysts. Conclusion With this case report, the limits of tomodensitometry in distinguishing linear from cystic forms are apparent. The importance of avoiding surgery is underlined. Our patient presented with a pneumo-peritonitis only requiring medical treatment since this disease generally regresses spontaneously.