Idiopathic sclerosing peritonitis in a man

Idiopathic sclerosing peritonitis is a rare disease described in young adolescent women, characterized by fibrosis and adhesions of the peritoneum to loops of the small bowel. Here we describe a 35-year-old man who underwent exploratory laparotomy for repeated small bowel obstruction. Only partial resection of the terminal ileum was possible because of adhesions; recurrent abdominal infections and leakage from anastomosis required further resection, which ultimately resulted in short bowel syndrome and malabsorption. The clinical and pathological findings were characteristic for idiopathic sclerosing peritonitis. We review the relevant literature, to confirm, to the best of our knowledge, that this is the first report of a male patient who has developed this rare disease.