[Peritoneal dialysis as prime treatment for diabetic patient with ESRD]

In all countries, the number of diabetic patients with end stage renal disease is growing. The question is whether this mode of therapy is the most appropriate for uremic diabetics. The superiority of any type replacement renal therapy (RRT) over another cannot be unequivocally proven in the absence of a truly random long-term prospective study, which for obvious reasons, has not and probably will not be carried out. Today, the decision on the final choice is indeed dependant on patient preferences, medical factors, physician's biais, local facilities and financial aspects. If in most centers, survival analysis results performed in Europe and in North America regarding diabetic patients RRT are conflicting, the interpretation of comparisons of survival rates published in different studies must be treated with great caution. Nevertheless, if diabetic patients survival is significantly lower than that of non diabetic patients independently of the technique chosen there is no argument to assess that survival at 2 years of diabetic patients aged less 55 years is better on PD than on HD. There is no argument to assess that survival at 2 years of diabetic patients aged more 55 years is better or less appropriate on PD than on HD, excepted in the North America where survival seems to be less appropriate on PD. The present report summarizes the major advantages and drawbacks of the PD method in insulin treated diabetic patients.