The most common cause of pneumoperitoneum is a rupture/perforation in the gastrointestinal tract.
Other causes of pneumoperitoneum include:
(1) tubo-ovarian abscess
(2) mechanical ventilation
(3) percutaneous gastrostomy placement
(4) paracentesis
(5) peritoneal dialysis
(6) vaginal instrumentation or douching
(7) mechanical perforation of the uterus
(8) bacterial peritonitis
(9) pulmonary abscess
(10) barotrauma with ruptured pulmonary alveoli (diving with decompression)
(11) status post intra-abdominal surgery or laparoscopy
(12) pneumothorax/pneumomediastinum
(13) cardiopulmonary resuscitation
(14) pneumatosis cystoid intestinalis
(15) coitus
(16) oral genital insufflation
(17) dental extraction
(18) blunt thoracic trauma
(19) bronchopulmonary fistula
(20) spontaneous (idiopathic)
