title: [Primary peritonitis in the newborn: a recently recognised disease].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Neonatal primary peritonitis (or autonomic bacterial peritonitis) is a diffuse peritoneal inflammation without any obvious visceral cause. It is a disease rarely described during the neonatal period.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the current study was to make the surgical community aware of it, in an attempt to help a prompt diagnose and to avoid any unnecessary surgery in patients admitted in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
  
  
  METHODS
  It concerns the description of 7 cases of newborns affected by primary peritonitis during their hospitalization in the NICU, underlining their signs and symptoms along with all additional paraclinical tests and the final outcome.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Primary peritonitis was identified in 7 neonates (5 females and 2 males). Despite the severity of their symptoms (e.g., abdominal sensibility, a long standing ileus etc.) none of them had sustained any surgery and the mortality was nil.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Neonatal primary peritonitis should always be taken into account in such circumstances. The final outcome, despite the initial clinical severity, is favorable with the appropriate conservative therapy
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery Nikea General Hospital Pireus, Greece. nglainakis@yahoo.gr
authors.forename: Nektarios
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lainakis
authors.forename: Kostas
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Koulopoulos
authors.forename: Athanasios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kourakos
authors.forename: Epaminondas
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kostopoulos
authors.forename: Basilis
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Trigas
authors.forename: Kyriakos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Skanavis
authors.forename: Basilis
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Trapalis
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D015931:Intensive Care, Neonatal; D008297:Male; D019152:Paracentesis; D010538:Peritonitis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome