Pathophysiology of Peritoneal Fluid Eosinophilia in Peritoneal Dialysis Patients

The finding of an abnormally high number of eosinophils in the peritoneum is a curious phenomenon, the cause and importance of which are not fully understood. Classically, peritoneal fluid eosinophilia has been noted in a restricted number of diseases, most notably, helminthic infections and allergic diseases. However, peritoneal fluid eosinophilia is a rather common event that occurs irregularly and intermittently during the course of peritoneal dialysis in the absence of known clinical entities. Except for its role in occasionally enticing the unwary clinician to make an incorrect diagnosis of bacterial peritonitis due to its cloudy effluent, no significant functional properties have traditionally been attributed to peritoneal fluid eosinophilia.