# An Atypical Cause of Pneumatosis Intestinalis: Norovirus Infection in an Elderly Male

**Authors:** Desiree Brionne Dillard, Cornel Popescu, Derek Zell, Nathan G Rasmussen, Cody Petrie, Lauren B Querin, Douglas Rappaport

PMC · DOI: 10.7759/cureus.81300 · 2025-03-27

## TL;DR

This paper reports a rare case of a common virus causing a severe intestinal condition in an elderly man.

## Contribution

The paper highlights a rare but serious complication of norovirus infection in an elderly patient.

## Key findings

- Norovirus can cause pneumatosis intestinalis, a rare and serious intestinal condition.
- The case involved septic shock and gastrointestinal bleeding in an elderly male.
- This case emphasizes the potential severity of norovirus in high-risk populations.

## Abstract

Norovirus is a major cause of gastroenteritis, commonly presenting with nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, myalgia, and fever. Most cases are self-limited, but serious complications can occur, particularly in high-risk populations. Pneumatosis intestinalis is an uncommon but serious condition that may require surgical intervention and is characterized by the presence of gas in the bowel wall. Pneumatosis intestinalis is a known, albeit extremely rare, complication of norovirus infection. We report a case of norovirus gastroenteritis in a 77-year-old male complicated by septic shock, pneumatosis intestinalis, and gastrointestinal bleeding, highlighting a rare but serious manifestation of this common infection.

## Linked entities

- **Diseases:** gastroenteritis (MONDO:0002269)

## Full-text entities

- **Diseases:** gastroenteritis (MESH:D005759), vomiting (MESH:D014839), gastrointestinal bleeding (MESH:D006471), infection (MESH:D007239), diarrhea (MESH:D003967), nausea (MESH:D009325), myalgia (MESH:D063806), septic shock (MESH:D012772), Pneumatosis Intestinalis (MESH:D011006), Norovirus Infection (MESH:D017250), fever (MESH:D005334)
- **Species:** Norovirus (genus) [taxon 142786]

## Figures

3 figures with captions in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12033050/full.md

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Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12033050