Peritoneal dialysis (PD)-related peritonitis is a common complication of PD. Nonocclusive mesenteric ischemia (NOMI) is a rare complication of PD-related peritonitis, has a high mortality rate, and therefore should be detected early once it occurs. We describe a case of a 70-year-old woman on PD presented with moderate abdominal pain and low blood pressure, which contributed to the early diagnosis of PD-related peritonitis complicated with NOMI. Increased white cell count of 7150/μL (neutrophil, 84%) in dialysate effluent was diagnostic of PD-related peritonitis, which was later found to be caused by Pseudomonas putida. Computed tomography with contrast performed after administering crystalloids revealed hepatic portal venous gas, pneumatosis intestinalis in the ascending colon, and normal enhancement of the bowel wall and mesenteric arteries, which suggested a reperfusion of the previously ischemic ascending colon. Colonoscopy on hospital day seventeen revealed mucosal hemorrhage and ulcers in the entire right colon and the terminal ileum while the remaining colon was normal. These findings are compatible with the consequence of NOMI. Increased peak systolic velocity of the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) implied its stenosis. Past studies show that ischemia of the colon in patients with chronic kidney disease commonly occurs in the right colon. Arteriosclerosis of the SMA due to the long history of chronic kidney disease and diabetes might have caused its vulnerability to low blood pressure. Abdominal complications including NOMI should be screened for when a patient presents with low blood pressure and strong abdominal pain. This is the first case report that shows colonoscopy images of the colonic ulcers post-NOMI and PD-related peritonitis.
Keywords: Diabetic nephropathy; Hepatic portal venous gas; Nonocclusive mesenteric ischemia; Peritoneal dialysis; Peritonitis; Superior mesenteric artery.