Jacek Kot, Zdzisław Sićko, Maria Michałkiewicz, Paweł Pikiel: Pneumoperitoneum after diving – two clinical cases and literature review

Pneumoperitoneum after diving is a rare symptom. Diagnosis and treatment strongly depends on the primary source of the air in the abdominal cavity. There are two main sources of air entering the perineum: perforation of the gastrointestinal tract and pulmonary barotrauma. The management is different and additionally, in both cases, the decompression sickness and arterial gas embolism as consequences of inappropriate decompression phase of the diving should be included in the clinical diagnosis and treatment. The multidisciplinary team including hyperbaric physicians and surgeons is necessary for proper management of such cases. In this paper two cases of pneumoperitoneum of different origins are presented and similar cases reported in the literature are discussed.

National Center for Hyperbaric Medicine, Interfaculty Institute of Maritime and Tropical Medicine In Gdynia, Medical University of Gdańsk, Poland

Department of Surgery, General Hospital in Gdynia, Poland

Address for correspondence:
Dr Jacek Kot,
National center for Hyperbaric Medicine in Gdynia,
Powstania Styczniowego 9 B, 81-519 Gdynia,
Phone: +48 58 6225163,
Fax: +48 58 6222789,
E-mail: jkot@gumed.edu.pl