Intramural gas

The presence of gas within the wall of a hollow viscus, typically the gastrointestinal tract. The clinical severity spans from a harmless incidental finding to life-threatening ischemia, infection, or mucosal injury. Possible lethal causes are bowel ischemia/infarction, necrotizing enterocolitis, bowel obstruction, and perforated ulcer/diverticulitis. Possible benign causes are pulmonary disease (asthma, COPD, interstitial pneumonia), bacterial overgrowth, autoimmun conditions (scleroderma or lupus), medications (steroids, immunosuppressants, chemotherapy), or recent endoscopy/colonoscopy.