Abstract

*Dr. Rajankumar T.

ABSTRACT

Pneumoperitoneum is a condition in which air in the peritoneum. The causes of pneumoperitoneum are bowel perforation, postoperative, infection with gas forming organism, Tubal insufflation test. The amount of air required to detect by X ray is 10 ml and by CT scan it is 1 ml. Air is collected in the least dependent part that is the below the dome of diaphragm. Most common cause for gas under diaphragm is duodenal or gastric perforation. The finding on X ray by gas can varies from a thin rim of air to large amount of air depending on the amount of air. Large perforation usually occurs on stomach and colon escape large amount of air in to the peritoneum and produce large air shadow under the diaphragm. Usually air shadow occurs on right side and easy to detect on right side. Left side it is difficult to differentiate pneumoperitoneum and gas in the fundus of the stomach. In a few cases of pneumoperitoneum can see air on both sides of diaphragm especially large amount of air is present.