Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis caused by Listeria in a patient with cirrhosis.: Case report

Infections caused by Listeria monocytogenes are usually found in cattle and occasionally appear in humans, particularly pregnant women and immunocompromised individuals. Peritonitis by Listeria monocytogenes is a rare but dangerous condition that must be recognized early, since it requires a specific treatment. We report a 31 year-old male with alcoholic cirrhosis that developed ascites with abdominal pain and fever, The peritoneal fluid culture yielded Listeria monocytogenes. The patients was initially treated with cefotaxim and later with ampicillin and levofloxacin. The patient voluntarily abandoned treatment and died at home two weeks later.