Hepatic portal venous gas in paralytic ileus

Hepatic portal venous gas (HPVG) is a rare radiographic finding associated with severe intra-abdominal disease and fatal outcome. Most cases of HPVG are historically related to mesenteric ischemia accompanied by bowel necrosis. The current spread of computed tomography scan promotes not only the early detection of related severe diseases but also the identification of other causes of HPVG. It has been reported in many non-fatal conditions, such as inflammatory bowel disease, intra-abdominal abscess, bowel obstruction, paralytic ileus, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography and endoscopic sphincterotomy, and gastric dilatation. Among these, paralytic ileus is a very rare condition, with no case yet reported in South Korea. Reported herein is a case of HPVG in paralytic ileus, which was treated well internally and was promptly resolved.