Response to octreotide of intestinal pseudoobstruction and pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis associated with progressive systemic sclerosis.

Intestinal pseudoobstruction and pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis are uncommon complications of progressive systemic sclerosis. We report a 26-year-old woman with this disorder who responded poorly to conventional treatment. Subcutaneous administration of octreotide, a long-acting somatostatin analogue, at a dose of 50 micrograms/day for 3 weeks, relieved symptoms such as nausea and bloating. There was also a marked decrease of intestinal gas accumulation, as documented on X-ray films.