Cocoon abdomen after chronic peritoneal dialysis

Abstract

A 66-year-old man presented with nausea, vomiting, and ascites. At laparotomy, an extensive fibrosis of the peritoneum was found to encase the bowel in a cocoon-like fashion. A meticulous dissection was undertaken to strip this encapsulating membrane from the bowel. Histologic study of the excised tissue disclosed extensive hyalinized fibroconnective tissue.

Keywords:

• Ascites
• bowel obstruction
• encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis
• fibrosis
• hyalinized fibroconnective tissue
• peritoneal dialysis