Abstract
Spontaneous Escherichia coli meningitis in adults is uncommon and many cases coexist with urinary tract infections. We herein report a 66-year-old man with E. coli meningitis complicated by spontaneous bacterial peritonitis. A patient with liver cirrhosis admitted with disturbed consciousness was diagnosed with spontaneous bacterial peritonitis due to E. coli and administered ceftriaxone. His level of consciousness improved, but it worsened on day 4. A cerebrospinal fluid examination revealed E. coli meningitis. On day 10, the patient died due to hepatorenal syndrome. Thus, spontaneous E. coli meningitis can coexist with spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, which may lead to a delayed diagnosis.