Chyloperitoneum in peritoneal dialysis: a case report and review of literature

Chyloperitoneum is a rare condition associated with peritoneal dialysis. In most cases it is misdiagnosed as bacterial peritonitis, but it can also be a consequence of this infection. We present the spontaneous development of chyloperitoneum in a 54 year old patient with chronic kidney disease secondary to diabetic nephropathy, in manual peritoneal dialysis for 5 years. The treatment consisted of temporary suspension of peritoneal dialysis, bowel rest, supply of a diet with a high content of medium chain fatty acids and infusion of octreotide. After 10 days the patient showed improvement, and peritoneal dialysis was restarted. A systematic search of the literature found 16 published cases (11 women), ranging in age from newborn to 88 years.