Sclerosing encapsulating peritonitis

PubMed, the Internet portal of biomedical and life sciences literature, indexed an interesting article, entitled “Surgical treatment of sclerosing encapsulating peritonitis.” (Cir Esp. 2007 Mar;81(3):139-43). Authors are Bujalance Cabrera FM, Herrera merino, Salvador Fernandez M et al., from the Servicio de Cirugia. Hospital Severo Ochoa. Leganes, Madrid. Espana. Sclerosing encapsulating peritonitis (SEP) or abdominal “cocoon” is a rare disease characterized by the formation of a fibrocollagenous membrane that wraps around the loops of the small bowel, producing obstruction. The authors present the results of the surgical treatment of this disease in three patients with chronic renal failure who developed SEP during the course of peritoneal dialysis (PD). The success of surgery in this disease is determined by the technique used. The correct technique consists of freeing the adhesions and extirpating of the capsule as far as possible. Perforation, as well as resection and intestinal anastomosis, significantly increase mortality. To access the full abstract of the article, click here.