Computed Tomography Images of a Benign Case of Gastric Pneumatosis in a Returning Traveler

A 70-year-old male presented to the emergency department with travel-associated vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. He was found to have gastric pneumatosis on computed tomography. His serum lactic acid level was within normal limits, and he had a benign clinical course. Gastric pneumatosis can be found in a wide spectrum of clinical situations, from benign to life-threatening. Causes can include ischemia, infections with gas-producing organisms (emphysematous gastritis), or various situations that result in increased intraluminal pressure. As this patient had not recently undergone any endoscopic procedures and had a benign presentation and clinical course, the cause, in this case, is presumed to be related to vigorous retching during a bout of traveler's gastroenteritis.