Peritoneumia

Peritoneumia is not a widely recognized medical term in contemporary literature. It may appear as an informal or historical reference to the peritoneum or to inflammatory or neoplastic processes affecting the peritoneal lining. The standard term for inflammation of the peritoneum is peritonitis, and conditions involving the peritoneum are typically described with specific diagnoses such as peritoneal infection, peritoneal carcinomatosis, or ascites.

Anatomy and function: The peritoneum comprises a parietal layer lining the abdominal and pelvic walls and a visceral layer covering most abdominal organs. The peritoneal cavity contains a small amount of lubricating fluid that reduces friction during movement. The peritoneum serves as a protective barrier, supports organ position, and houses immune cells that help respond to infection.

Clinical relevance: Because peritoneal disease can arise from infection, trauma, ischemia, or malignancy, signs are often nonspecific but may include abdominal pain, tenderness, fever, and abdominal distension. In suspected peritonitis the diagnosis is urgent; imaging, such as ultrasound or CT, and laboratory tests are used; paracentesis may be performed if ascites is present.

Management and prognosis: Management targets the underlying cause and may include antibiotics for infection, fluid resuscitation, pain control, and sometimes surgical intervention. Peritoneal dialysis is a related procedure that uses the peritoneum as a dialyzing membrane and is not a disease but a therapeutic approach. The prognosis varies with etiology, from recoverable infections to advanced peritoneal carcinomatosis.