Peritoneal Disorders

Reading this article

Topic pages summarize public health information in plain language. They may describe common causes and treatments in general terms; your own plan of care depends on your clinician’s exam, history, and tests. Use what you read here to prepare questions—not to start, stop, or change medications or to self-diagnose.

Your peritoneum is the tissue that lines your abdominal wall and covers most of the organs in your abdomen. A liquid, peritoneal fluid, lubricates the surface of this tissue.

Disorders of the peritoneum are not common. They include:

Peritonitis - an inflammation of the peritoneum
Cancer
Complications from peritoneal dialysis

Your doctor may use imaging tests or lab tests to analyze the peritoneal fluid to diagnose the problem. Treatment of peritoneal disorders depends on the cause.