Clinics in diagnostic imaging (53). Hepatic portal venous gas due to mesenteric infarction.

A 43-year-old woman presented with acute abdominal pain and signs of ileus. CT scan of the abdomen showed hepatic portal venous gas. At surgery, a long segment of gangrenous bowel extending from the jejunum to the proximal hemicolon was found. The cause was superior mesenteric artery occlusion. The aetiology, imaging features and clinical significance of hepatic portal venous gas are discussed.