A Case of Intratumoral and Hepatic Portal Venous Gas in Patient with Gastric Cancer Liver Metastases

Background: Hepatic portal venous gas [HPVG] is not a common finding in daily practice. It is usually associated with mesenteric ischemia and bowel necrosis in adults. Combination of intratumoral gas in metastatic liver lesions with HPVG is quite rare and thought to be associated with chemotherapy-induced necrosis and infection of the necrotized metastasis. Objective: Here we present a case of gastric adenocarcinoma with portal venous and intratumoral gas in metastatic liver lesions due to the infected necrosis. Case Presentation: The patient was presented to the emergency room with severe abdominal pain and septic condition after the second round of chemotherapy. Hepatic portal venous and intratumoral gas in metastatic liver lesions due to the infected necrosis of liver metastasis was detected in computed tomography images. There were no findings of mesenteric ischemia both clinically and radiologically. Massive intratumoral infected necrosis in metastatic liver lesions and fistulization to the right portal vein branches were detected on abdominopelvic CT. Secondary infection of the necrotic metastases and fistulization to portal vein branches was believed to cause the air in metastatic liver masses and portal venous gas. Conclusion: Infected necrosis of metastatic liver lesions and fistulizations to the portal venous structures is extremely rare. Clinicians and radiologists should be aware of such a rare complication because early detection is crucial for patient management.