The most common cause is peritoneal dialysis.
Other causes:
(1) beta-blocker therapy
(2) SLE or other autoimmune disease
(3) sarcoidosis
(4) presence of a peritoneovenous or ventriculoperitoneal shunt
(5) endometriosis
(6) luteinized thecoma or other tumor of the ovary
(7) peritoneal metastases
(8) peritoneal mesothelioma
(9) intraperitoneal chemotherapy
(10) installation of chemicals, disinfectants or particulates (talc, silica, etc) into the peritoneum
(11) Familial Mediterranean fever
(12) abdominal surgery
(13) hemodialysis
(14) chronic gastrointestinal diseases
(15) bacterial or tubercular peritonitis
(16) cirrhosis with ascites
(17) chronic intra-abdominal bleeding
If no cause is found then it is termed idiopathic or primary.
