Houssein Chebbo¹, Sarah Saleh¹, Karam Karam²*, Sara Jalloul², Georges El Hashem³, Elie El Hajj⁴ and Pierre Hani⁵

¹Faculty of Medicine, University of Balamand, Dekweneh-Beirut, Lebanon
²Department of Gastroenterology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Balamand, Delweneh-Beirut, Lebanon
³Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine in Hematology and Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Saint George University of Beirut
⁴Associate Professor in Department of General Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Balamand, Dekweneh, Lebanon
⁵Associate Professor in Department of Gastroenterology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Balamand, Dekweneh-Beirut, Lebanon

*Corresponding Author: Houssein Chebbo, Faculty of Medicine, University of Balamand, Dekweneh-Beirut, Lebanon.

Received: April 22, 2024; Published: April 30, 2024

Abstract

Introduction: Sarcina ventriculi is an anaerobic, gram-positive, non-motile, and exclusive carbohydrate fermenter bacterium that thrives in acidic environments, particularly in gastric biopsies of patients with delayed gastric emptying. Some known symptoms of a Sarcina infection include nausea, dyspepsia, abdominal pain, and rarely more serious manifestations like emphysematous gastritis and gastric perforation. Nevertheless, it was also isolated in healthy, asymptomatic individuals, suggesting that it could be present as a harmless organism.

Case: A 23 year-old male with GERD presented with intermittent epigastric pain. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) was performed and endoscopic biopsy revealed erythematous gastritis caused by S. ventriculi infection.

Discussion: Although Sarcina ventriculi is a known pathogen in animals, its pathogenic role in humans is not well established. S. ventriculi is commonly reported in patients with delayed gastric emptying, as this bacterium thrives in environments with acidic pH and rich in carbohydrates, as in GERD-related, diabetic, and post-surgery gastroparesis. Currently, there is no evident consensus on the treatment of S. ventriculi due to the lack of follow-up biopsies that confirm pathogen eradication, and the presence of cases of pathogen eradication without the need for antibiotics.

Conclusion: Sarcina ventriculi is a rare bacterium of the stomach whose significance is not well established. Reported cases of Sarcina ventriculi are increasing over the years; this increase can be attributed to lifestyle and diet changes. As of today, there is still no established medical regimen approved for the treatment of Sarcina ventriculi

Keywords: Sarcina ventriculi; Gram Positive; Gastroparesis

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Citation

Citation: Houssein Chebbo., et al. “Sarcina ventriculi in a 23 Year Old Patient: A Case Report". Acta Scientific Gastrointestinal Disorders 7.5 (2024): 17-20.

Copyright

Copyright: © 2024 Houssein Chebbo., et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.