Clostridium Perfringens as a Rare Cause of Spontaneous Bacterial Peritonitis

Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) is a serious complication in individuals with liver cirrhosis and ascites. In this case report, we present an unusual cause of SBP in loculated ascites caused by an uncommon bacterium, <i>Clostridium perfringens</i>. Although SBP is typically associated with certain common pathogens, it is important to recognize that less frequent organisms can also trigger it. <i>C. perfringens</i> is typically associated with other environmental sources, but in this instance, the infection's origin was suspected to be either nosocomial, from prior paracentesis, or due to a microscopic bowel perforation that was undetectable on imaging. Remarkably, the patient responded well with an improvement of symptoms, and the ascitic fluid bacterial growth resolved on subsequent cultures.