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Spontaneous Gastric Perforation in a Healthy Child Associated With Sarcina ventriculi Infection

Dejan Nikolic1, Sukrita Mysore2, Matthew Boelig3

  • 1Department of Pathology, Cooper University Health Care, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, Camden, New Jersey, USA, rowan.edu.

Case Reports in Pediatrics
|May 6, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Spontaneous gastric perforation is a rare condition in children. This case highlights the bacterium Sarcina ventriculi as a potential cause in an otherwise healthy child.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Surgery
  • Microbiology
  • Gastroenterology

Background:

  • Spontaneous gastric perforation is a rare and serious condition in children.
  • Recent literature suggests a link between Sarcina ventriculi and gastric ulcers/perforation, primarily in adults.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To report a unique case of spontaneous gastric perforation in a previously healthy child.
  • To investigate the role of Sarcina ventriculi in pediatric gastric perforation.

Main Methods:

  • Case report of an 11-year-old child presenting with peritonitis and shock.
  • Emergent exploratory laparotomy revealing gastric perforation.
  • Histopathologic examination of gastric tissue for bacterial identification.

Main Results:

  • A 4-cm gastric perforation was identified.
  • Abundant growth of Sarcina ventriculi was found at the perforation site.
  • The patient was an otherwise healthy child with no predisposing factors.

Conclusions:

  • Sarcina ventriculi may be implicated in spontaneous gastric perforation in children, even without predisposing conditions.
  • This case represents one of the few documented instances of Sarcina ventriculi-associated gastric perforation in a pediatric patient.
  • Highlights the importance of considering rare bacterial pathogens in pediatric surgical emergencies.

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