Spontaneous Bacterial Peritonitis during Pregnancy: A Rare Occurrence

Acute abdomen during pregnancy is not an uncommon emergency in obstetrical practice. But dilemma occurs when no cause is found despite thorough workup and investigations, even on laparotomy. Peritonitis though may occur during pregnancy following tubal rupture in ectopic pregnancy or other intra abdominal conditions but spontaneous bacterial peritonitis is rarest of rare occurrence during pregnancy and that too with staphylococci. Only 2-4% cases of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis with staphylococcus aureus have been mentioned in literature. In a rare case we came across, a primigravidae who presented with pain abdomen, fever and ascites which later on diagnosed to be a case of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis and the microorganism isolated was found to be staphylococcus aureus. We are reporting this case because of rare occurrence of this entity in pregnancy and the paucity of literature.