Ultrasound in the diagnosis of acute-phase decompression sickness

Abstract

A 53-year-old man, who performed a 44-minute dive to a depth of 21 meters, felt severe abdominal pain with dyspnea after surfacing. An ultrasound study showed a marked snowstorm pattern in the portal vein of the liver and right ventricle, and whole body computed tomography revealed multiple gas bubbles in the right ventricle, inferior vena cava, portal, mesenteric and femoral vein. He was thus diagnosed to have decompression sickness and was therefore transported to another hospital to undergo hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Patients who present with abdominal symptoms after diving should be immediately evaluated by ultrasound and computed tomography.

Keywords

• Decompression sickness
• Ultrasound
• Diagnosis