Peritonite encapsulante esclerosante em um canino – relato de caso

Abstract

Sclerosing encapsulating peritonitis (SEP) is a chronic condition in which there is formation and proliferation of fibrous connective tissue on the serous layer of both the parietal and visceral peritoneum. The etiology is not well defined, but it could be related to chronic irritation of the peritoneum, and may be caused by an external or idiopathic factor. The disease may be asymptomatic, but usually causes vomiting, soft feces, abdominal pain, progressive weight loss, anorexia and ascites. Therapy for SEP is based on the utilization of immunosuppressive medications and estrogen antagonists. The surgical adhesiolysis has already been described, however, it shows low effectiveness and high risk. Diagnosis is made through the observation of the "cocoons" formed by the adhesions between the intestinal loops, along with the histopathological analysis of the fibrous connective tissue covering the peritoneum. This paper aims to present a case report of a patient diagnosed with SEP as well as the clinical, surgical and laboratory findings of this condition. A 3 years and 6 months old female dog went through medical care at the University Veterinary Hospital of the Federal University of Santa Maria (HVU-UFSM). It was castrated since the age of 12 months, and has a history of progressive abdominal distension for 4 weeks. The patient died and necropsy indicated the diagnosis of SEP. It’s concluded that the definitive diagnosis of SEP is difficult to be made when the patient is still alive and this is performed, most of the time, only after the death of the affected animals. A surgical procedure is required to collect samples for histopathology; however, abdominal viscera adhesiolysis should be performed only when there is impairment of the organic functions.