Point-of-care ultrasound identification of pneumatosis intestinalis associated with Henoch-Schönlein purpura gastrointestinal involvement: A case report / 世界急诊医学杂志（英文）

ABSTRACT

@#Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP) is the commonest vasculitis in children, typically affecting children aged three to ten years.[1] It is a multi-systemic vasculitis mediated by type III hypersensitivity with deposition of immunoglobulin. An immune complex-mediated vasculitis affects small vessels of the skin, joints, kidneys, and gastrointestinal (GI) tracts. HSP is usually a self-limiting condition and resolves within six to eight weeks.[1] HSP tends to involve the GI tract and symptoms may occur before skin manifestations. Proximal small bowel and distal ileum are the sites that usually involved.[2,3] Colicky abdominal pain is the predominant GI manifestation and can be debilitating. Severe GI complications such as massive GI bleeding, intussusception, protein losing enteropathy, and pancreatitis can uncommonly occur.[2,4] Imaging is often required in the evaluation of HSP with GI involvement. However, there is little pediatric literature on the role of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) by pediatric emergency physicians in the identification of pneumatosis intestinalis (PI) in HSP.