Lymphoma masquerading as a peritoneal dialysis catheter leak

Noninfectious Cloudy Peritoneal Effluent in a Peritoneal Dialysis Patient with Mantle Cell Lymphoma

A 77-year-old man on peritoneal dialysis (PD) presented repeatedly with cloudy spent dialysate containing an elevated mononuclear cell count. He had mantle cell lymphoma diagnosed by colonic polyp biopsy two years before the start of PD. The first episode of cloudy dialysate was treated for peritonitis. However, the culture of the peritoneal fluid was negative and the mononuclear cells were proven to be atypical lymphocytes of the mantle cell lymphoma variety. In addition to the peritoneal effluent, atypical lymphocytes were also found consistently in the patient’s blood samples and once in his right pleural effusion. The patient exhibited high peritoneal transport status and clinical features of volume overload raising the question of alterations in the peritoneal transport processes in PD patients with malignancies involving the peritoneal membrane. Distinction between infectious and noninfectious cloudy dialysate and the potential of changes in the peritoneal membrane transport mechanisms are issues that should concern the care of PD patients with cloudy dialysate containing malignant cells.