Hemoperitoneum in a peritoneal dialysis patient from a retroperitoneal source.

Hemoperitoneum in peritoneal dialysis patients is a known but infrequent complication. Hemoperitoneum is more frequent in women because of its association with a variety of gynecologic presentations such as reflux menstruation, ovulation, endometrial tissue implants within the peritoneal cavity (endometriosis), and bleeding follicular cysts. Other intraperitoneal causes of hemoperitoneum include minor catheter or abdominal trauma, vascular anomalies, or hepatic or splenic cysts. Less frequently encountered is a presentation of hemoperitoneum from a retroperitoneal source. These presentations result either from peritoneal inflammation and subsequent peritoneal bleeding or retroperitoneal cavity pathology rupturing into the peritoneal cavity. Here, we present the case of a peritoneal dialysis patient presenting with hemoperitoneum several days after undergoing cardiac catheterization. The catheterization was complicated by a large retroperitoneal hematoma. Details of the case are reported, and other retroperitoneal causes of hemoperitoneum are reviewed.