Rare bowel emphysema with superior mesenteric artery syndrome after surgery

Superior mesenteric artery syndrome, a rare cause of duodenal obstruction, occasionally requires surgery. Bowel emphysema might also require surgery and might be an ominous sign of a serious condition. We report the case of a 69-year-old Japanese man with left pneumothorax who was also diagnosed as having bowel emphysema and superior mesenteric artery syndrome simultaneously without serious infection after surgery for the pneumothorax. Following gastric decompression via a nasogastric tube, his general condition resolved quickly with no need for surgical intervention. Prompt and precise diagnosis by computed tomography and both adequate judgment and treatment can avoid surgery in such cases.