A Case of Acute Emphysematous Gastritis Associated with Invasive Aspergillosis

ABSTRACT

Emphysematous gastritis is a subtype of phlegmonous gastritis characterized by emphysematous change of the gastric wall. It is associated with infection of gas forming organism and is often fatal because of suppurative bacterial infection. Streptococci is the most commonly involved microorganism of emphysematous gastritis. Aspergillus is a very rare pathogen of this disease, because invasive aspergillosis often presents as pulmonary infections and rarely involves the gastro-intestinal tract. Treatment should be aimed to cover various organism using broad spectrum antibiotics, and sometimes aggressive surgical management may be needed to enhance survival. We report a case of severe emphysematous gastritis caused by invasive aspergillosis with a review of the literature.