Hepatic portal venous gas identified by computed tomography in a patient with blunt abdominal trauma: a case report. An abdominal computed tomographic (CT) scan in a middle-aged man injured in a high-speed motor vehicle accident demonstrated the presence of portal venous gas. Findings on initial peritoneal lavage were entirely negative. Exploratory celiotomy performed because of increasing abdominal pain and leukocytosis revealed gangrene of the cecum. This report illustrates the importance of the finding of portal venous gas on CT scan in patients with blunt abdominal trauma. 