Case Report

Spontaneous bowel perforation due to norovirus: a case report

Nikhil Pawa , Andrew P Vanezis and Matthew G Tutton

Department of General Surgery, Colchester University Hospital, Turner Road, Colchester, Essex, CO4 5JL, UK

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Cases Journal 2009, 2:9101doi:10.1186/1757-1626-2-9101

Published:	27 November 2009

Abstract

Norovirus is the leading cause of epidemic gastroenteritis worldwide but the disease is usually self-limiting and generally only causes serious health problems in the young, elderly and immunocompromised. The authors report a case of bowel perforation in an elderly Caucasian lady with confirmed infection with Norovirus genogroup II and no other presumptive cause. To the authors' knowledge this is the first such case of bowel perforation due to Norovirus. Viral gastroenteritis should be considered in the list of differentials when no obvious cause of bowel perforation can be identified to minimise morbidity and mortality.