Hepatic-portal venous gas embolism due to liver abscess rupture

Abstract

In this paper, we present a female patient with a clinical presentation of acute abdomen that developed due to the rupture of liver abscess and hepatic-portal venous gas embolism. We discuss the contribution of radiological diagnostics in emergency hospital treatment. The etiopathogenetic background of cholangitis and the development of liver abscess confirmed chronic biliary lithiasis with intermittent obstructions in the hepatoduodenal biliary circulation. The anatomical characteristics of the portal vein system and its anastomoses with systemic circulation represent the substrate for the development of serious gas embolism sequelae on other organ systems in the form of renal infarction and splenic infarction, which were detected by radiological diagnostic methods in this case.

Keywords

• liver abscess – complications
• diagnostic imaging; rupture
• spontaneous; embolism
• air – diagnostic imaging
• etiology; portal vein – diagnostic imaging; choledocholithiasis – complications
• diagnostic imaging; pneumoperitoneum – diagnostic imaging; splenic infarction – diagnostic imaging
• etiology; kidney – diagnostic imaging
• pathology; radiography
• abdominal; tomography