[Primary peritonitis in the newborn: a recently recognised disease].
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
Lainakis
Nektarios
N
Department of Pediatric Surgery Nikea General Hospital Pireus, Greece. nglainakis@yahoo.gr
Koulopoulos
Kostas
K
Kourakos
Athanasios
A
Kostopoulos
Epaminondas
E
Trigas
Basilis
B
Skanavis
Kyriakos
K
Trapalis
Basilis
B
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