Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis in a patient with myxedema ascites.

Ascites is uncommon in patients with hypothyroidism. Herein we describe an 84-year-old female patient with myxedema ascites that resolved completely with thyroid replacement medication. Bacteriological studies of the ascitic fluid revealed gram-negative rods which eventually proved to be Klebsiella pneumoniae treated successfully with antibiotics. Our review of the literature failed to reveal a previous case of myxedema ascites with concomitant subclinical spontaneous bacterial peritonitis. Copyright 2003 S. Karger AG, Basel