Encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis in a peritoneal dialysis patient presenting with complicated Mycobacterium fortuitum peritonitis

Encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis (EPS) is a rare but serious complication seen in patients undergoing continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) or automated peritoneal dialysisAPD after prolonged duration on dialysis. Patients usally present with vague complaints of abdominal pain, vomitting, diarrhea, weight loss and change in peritoneal transport characte-ristics. High degree of suspicion is needed in PD patients who have been on dialysis for prolonged duration and have been using high-concentrated dialysis fluid. Mycobacterium fortuitum (MF) is a rapidly growing, non-tuberculous mycobacterium that has rarely been reported as a pathogen causing peritonits in patients on PD. We report a case of CAPD presenting with culture-negative peritonits, which, on specific culture, grew MF and, on radiological evaluation, showed diagnostic features of EPS.

Analysis of causes of mortality in patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease: a single center study

This study was aimed at determining the median survival and most frequent causes of death in patients with the autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). A retrospective, observational analysis was made on patients registered with a diagnosis of ADPKD, in the computer records of the Sheffield Kidney Institute (SKI), United Kingdom, during the years 1981 to 1999. Data on 363 patients were analyzed from these computer records and further information, if any, was obtained from the patients' clinical notes. During this period, 88 patients died. The median age of the patients who died was 60.5 years, with the youngest being 37 years old and the oldest being 82 years. The major causes of death in this study group were cardiovascular (46.6%), infection (15.9%), central nervous system (CNS) disorders (11.36%), and miscellaneous causes (11.36%). Our study suggests that the major cause of death in patients with ADPKD was cardiovascular followed by infection, of which 42% of the deaths were due to septicemia. CNS causes of death comprised 11.36% of whom 60% had cerebrovascular events including subarachnoid hemorrhage in 20% of the patients. Uremia was the cause of death in only 2.2% of the patients in this series.