Pneumatosis Intestinalis: Autopsy Finding

This is a case of a patient with bowel obstruction , imaging studies were suggestive for pneumatosisintestinalis. clinically diagnosed as adhesion band and pnematosis intestinalis. she underwent laparatomy, enterolysis, obstructionolysis and enterorrhaphy. the patient developed respiratory distress and expired after 2 days. at autopsy we found gray-brown discoloration in the wall of some part of small bowel and flattening of mucus membrane. grossly multiple gas-filled cysts were seen at the serosal surface. microscopic evaluation of small intestine wall showed multiple cysts located in submucosal and serosal layers.