Fibrosing peritonitis in a drug abuser

We report a case of fatal fibrosing peritonitis in a 28-year-old drug abuser. The extensive fibrosis, which was limited to the abdominal cavity, contained birefringent material. Silica was identified by spectrophotometric analysis. Silica is a component of talc (magnesium silicate) used as a drug filler. Relatively small amounts are known to induce fibrosis. The manner of introduction of this material into the peritoneal cavity is hypothetical and includes accidental direct peritoneal contamination during subcutaneous injections, a method used by drug abusers.