Fulminant pneumatosis intestinalis in a patient with diabetes mellitus and minimal change nephrotic syndrome.

We report a case of pneumatosis intestinalis in a diabetic patient with minimal change nephrotic syndrome, receiving immunosuppressive drugs and an alpha-glucosidase inhibitor. The patient was a 72-year-old female, who suffered from right lower abdominal pain. Abdominal CT showed massive air in the intestinal wall, compatible with pneumatosis intestinalis. Her general condition rapidly deteriorated with systemic inflammatory response syndrome. The patient had received respiratory support for a week, along with antimicrobial therapy and continuous hemofiltration, and then recovered. Even though pneumatosis intestinalis is generally recognized as a mild disease, careful attention is necessary when it follows a serious condition.