Use of diagnostic laparoscopy in a patient with gastric pneumatosis and portal venous gas.

Gastric pneumatosis is a radiographic finding that represents a spectrum of conditions ranging from benign disease to abdominal sepsis and death. Along with portal venous gas, it is generally considered an ominous sign prompting emergent operative intervention. We report a rare case showing that diagnostic laparoscopy can be used to confirm or refute full thickness ischemic necrosis and that conservative management can be considered in some patients, recognizing the possibility of a benign process.