Non-operative Management of Sarcina ventriculi-Associated Severe Emphysematous Gastritis: A Case Report

We report a case of a 64-year-old Jehovah's Witness male, who was post-operative day five of laparoscopic cholecystectomy. He presented with anemia, severe ischemic gastritis, and pneumatosis seen on CT with intravenous contrast. A subsequent upper endoscopy revealed patchy gastric ulceration with bleeding but no overt evidence of perforation. Biopsies were taken, and immunohistological staining identified Sarcina ventriculi. The patient was treated non-operatively with fluconazole and piperacillin-tazobactam for the infection and with sucralfate tablets and pantoprazole injections for ulcer treatment. After five days, a repeat CT scan revealed a resolved pneumatosis. S. ventriculi is a rare bacterium that is increasingly being reported as a cause of emphysematous gastritis with potentially fatal perforation. Surgical intervention should be reserved for unstable patients with perforations and significant, overt bleeding. In this case, non-operative treatment with antibiotics and proton pump inhibitor (PPI) medications were preferred in the setting of anemia in a Jehovah’s Witness patient without perforation. The patient showed clinical and radiologic improvement. Further understanding of the role of surgical intervention versus non-operative management is needed for this rare and potentially life-threatening organism.