[Sclerosing encapsulated peritonitis. Diagnostic and therapeutic challenge for the general surgeon]

Intestinal obstruction is one of the most frequently abdominal problems that concern general surgeons. One of the infrequent causes of mechanical obstruction is sclerosing encapsulating peritonitis (SEP); this entity causes intense fibrosis of the components in the peritoneal layer, resulting in adhesion of abdominal organs. SEP can be primary or secondary; both are a type of peritoneal fibrosclerosis that causes intestinal obstruction with difficult resolution and a great number of complications. In terms of frequency and etiology, there are few data, and the problem is considerated a multifactorial disease with association to neoplasms, toxics, drugs, and idiopathic form. This article presents three cases of sclerosing encapsulating peritonitis and the possible factors that play an important role in the development of this infrequent entity.