PNEUMATOSIS CYSTOIDES INTESTINALIS DURING THE TREATMENT WITH PACLITAXEL FOR METASTATIC OVARIAN CANCER

Abstract

Gas within the bowel wall can be an incidental finding in Computed Tomography (CT) exams, with increased frequency in oncological patients. Pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis (PCI) is an unusual subtype of this condition which mainly affects the colon, and which is characterized by circular air collections in the bowel wall. We report a case of a 74-year-old woman treated with Paclitaxel for metastatic ovarian cancer, in which a restaging CT scan showed PCI involving the right colon with microperforation. Subsequent CT performed after changing the therapeutic regimen showed a reduction in these findings. In oncological patients, PCI can be an incidental finding and can be safely managed conservatively.

Keywords

• pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis
• chemotherapy
• pneumoperitoneum
• paclitaxel