A case of encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis in a patient with chronic schistosomiasis
Paraskevi C. Fragkou,
Emmanouil Karofylakis,
Nikolaos Oikonomopoulos,
Evangelia T. Piperaki,
Sotirios Tsiodras,
Dimitra Kavvatha
Affiliations
Paraskevi C. Fragkou
4th Department of Internal Medicine, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, “Attikon” University Hospital, 1 Rimini Str, Chaidari, Athens, 12462, Greece
Emmanouil Karofylakis
4th Department of Internal Medicine, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, “Attikon” University Hospital, 1 Rimini Str, Chaidari, Athens, 12462, Greece; Corresponding author at: 4th Department of Internal Medicine, Attikon University Hospital, 1 Rimini Str, Chaidari, Athens, 12462, Greece.
Nikolaos Oikonomopoulos
2nd Laboratory of Radiology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, “Attikon” University Hospital, 1 Rimini Str, Chaidari, Athens, 12462, Greece
Evangelia T. Piperaki
Parasitology Unit, Microbiology Laboratory of Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Mikras Asias 75, Goudi, Athens, 11527, Greece
Sotirios Tsiodras
4th Department of Internal Medicine, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, “Attikon” University Hospital, 1 Rimini Str, Chaidari, Athens, 12462, Greece
Dimitra Kavvatha
4th Department of Internal Medicine, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, “Attikon” University Hospital, 1 Rimini Str, Chaidari, Athens, 12462, Greece
Encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis (EPS) is a debilitating condition, mainly associated with long-term peritoneal dialysis, where up-regulation of intra-abdominal inflammatory pathways leads to a fibrocollagenous peritoneal membrane formation resembling a cocoon. EPS causes intestinal encapsulation leading to bowel obstruction and dilatation. Chronic schistosomiasis is characterized by dysregulation of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines. EPS has never been reported before in patients with chronic schistosomiasis. We report the first, to our knowledge, case of a 57-year-old male originated from Burkina Faso with chronic intestinal and urogenital schistosomiasis and EPS. Although causality cannot be established solely by this case, we hypothesize that EPS may be the result of chronic inflammatory activation, due to immune dysregulation driven by chronic schistosomiasis. The potential pathogenetic linkage between these two conditions should be further explored.
