Hepatic portal venous gas in diverticulitis: survival in a steroid-treated patient.

Hepatic portal venous gas (HPVG) in the adult is usually associated with bowel necrosis. Together these have an 80% mortality. However, HPVG may occur as a result of a variety of other pathologic conditions. We studied what we believe is the second known case resulting from sigmoid diverticulitis. This patient's survival was unexpected, because bowel perforation and pathologically demonstrated septic phlebitis occurred during the patient's long-term corticosteroid therapy.