[Cystic pneumatosis of the large intestine].

Cystic pneumatosis of the intestine is a rare condition, but perhaps not so rare as the small number of reported cases suggests. Although recognized since 1876, when Bang first noted gas cysts in the intestine of a woman who had died of volvulus, cystic pneumatosis of the intestine has remained a baffling diagnostic problem. The condition may be defined as the presence of gas in cyst-like formations in the body. These may be localized in any part of the gastro-intestinal tract; they have a marked predilection for the ileocaecal region and the duodenum, but are also found in the bladder, vagina, mesentery, parietal peritoneum, and pleura.