Peritoneal encapsulation and abdominal cocoon: Case reports and a review of the literature

Idiopathic sclerosing encapsulating peritonitis

Abdominal cocoon in children: a report of four cases.

Since it was first described in 1978 the abdominal cocoon continues to be a rare cause of intestinal obstruction. So far this rare condition where the small intestine is encased in a fibrous membrane has been reported only in females. Diagnosis is usually made at laparotomy and the treatment of choice is lysis of adhesions. Proper recognition of this benign condition will result in the correct management of it and prevent unnecessary bowel resections. Five new cases including one male patient, together with a review of previous reports in the English literature, are presented.

The abdominal cocoon.

In a Caucasian woman with a history of ocular and pulmonary sarcoidosis, the occurrence of sclerosing peritonitis with exudative ascites but without any of the well-known causes of this syndrome prompts us to consider that sclerosing peritonitis is a manifestation of sarcoidosis. The dramatic improvement that occurred on corticosteroid therapy adds credibility to this previously unreported association.

Pathak Ic

Papers

'Abdominal cocoon'--a cause of intestinal obstruction in a 4 years old girl.