COMPLICATIONS OF PERITONEAL-DIALYSIS - EVALUATION WITH CT PERITONEOGRAPHY

Computed tomographic (CT) peritoneography involves CT of the abdomen a nd pelvis after administration of a mixture of contrast material and d ialysate, CT peritoneography can demonstrate a variety of complication s of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis. In patients with sympt oms of peritonitis, CT peritoneography is better than conventional CT in demonstrating loculated fluid collections and indicates adhesions b y means of uneven distribution of the contrast material-dialysate mixt ure, In patients with edema or abdominal bulging, CT peritoneography r eliably shows the site of dialysate leakage and allows differentiation of a leak from a hernia, In patients with problems of fluid return, c atheter malposition and its effect on dialysate distribution can be de termined with CT peritoneography. In patients with poor ultrafiltratio n, demonstration of restricted space in the pelvis or poor distributio n of fluid with CT peritoneography suggests adhesions. CT peritoneogra phy also provides anatomic information for referring physicians that m ay determine whether treatment is medical or surgical.