Streptococcus pneumoniae as an etiologic agent in infectious complications of pancreatic disease.

Systematic culturing of perioperative intra-abdominal samples allowed us to recognize the presence of Streptococcus pneumoniae in infectious complications of chronic pancreatitis in 9 male patients. In 8 of 10 of the intra- or peripancreatic samples, S. pneumoniae was the single isolate identified. All but one of the S. pneumoniae isolates were sensitive to penicillin. The patients had predisposing underlying conditions such as alcoholism and diabetes mellitus. All patients were cured due to adequate surgery and antibiotic treatment. Analysis of the case histories suggests that S. pneumoniae may have been a relevant organism causing the infectious complications of pancreatitis in these patients.