Preterm Prelabor Rupture of Membranes (PPROM) and vernix caseosa peritonitis - case report

Vernix caseosa peritonitis

  • Dejan Mihajlović Univerzitet u Pristini sa privremenim sedistem u Kosovskoj Mitrovici, Medicinski fakultet, opsta medicina
  • Leonida Vitković
  • Milica Mijović
  • Nenad Sulovic
  • Goran Relić
  • Ana Radovanović
  • Novica Djoković
Keywords: vernix caseosa peritonitis, postpartum complications, PPROM

Abstract


Introduction: Vernix caseosa peritonitis (VCP) is a rare postpartum complication rarely recognized by clinicians despite the increased incidence of cesarean sections.

Case report: 23 year old patient with PPROM in progress of uncontrolled pregnancy ends with a caesarean section. On the 4th day after the caesarean section, the patient developed a fever, abdominal pain and laboratory analyzes with elevated inflammatory factors. In lochia swab were founded two bacterias: Escherichia coli and Proteus mirabilis. Relaparotomia was performed and we found hemorrhagic-purulent contents in the abdominal cavity and a multiple cheesy fibrin deposits on the intestines and in the abdominal cavity. Peritoneal lavage was performed and patient was on triple antibiotic therapy for 7 days and completely recovered. Histopathological analysis showed mixture of inflammatory cells concentrated around non-nuclear cells with wrinkled edges, which primarily corresponds to the inflammatory-altered vernix.

Conclusion: VCP early recognition is very important because it can stop resection of the abdominal organs who are altered with inflammation.

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Published
2025/12/19
Section
Prikaz slučaja / Case report