Abstract
A 66-year-old man being treated for type 2 diabetes mellitus with an α-glucosidase inhibitor was transferred to our hospital because of sudden onset of severe abdominal pain and vomiting. Abdominal CT showed a massive amount of gas in theintrahepatic portal vein and the mesenteric veins. The patient was treated conservatively because of the absence of any evidence of bowel necrosis or peritonitis. The symptoms subsided in response to conservative treatment, and a CT scan obtained two weeks later showed no portal venous gas (PVG).
PVG is known to be a rare condition with a poor prognosis, however, in a few cases, such as ours, it is associated with simple intestinal or gastric distention. Non-surgical management is permissible in patients with no evidence of life-threatening complications.
