The acute abdomen in the immunocompromised host

Immunocompromised hosts are a heterogeneous group, including patients receiving transplants, those receiving chemotherapy for malignant disease, and those receiving steroids for autoimmune disease, as well as patients with AIDS. Each group has specific abdominal conditions, and the clinician must be familiar with the specific causes of the acute abdomen within each subset. The causes of the acute abdomen in immunocompromised patients may be divided into two broad categories: (1) those disorders that are closely associated with the immunocompromised state and (2) those processes that can occur in any patient regardless of the immune status. Physicians at every level of specialization must become familiar with the unusual complications that occur in this population and with the ways in which the underlying disease and its therapy can modify the clinical presentation and management of common abdominal conditions. This article outlines broad principles of common clinical findings and surgical therapy in these patients.