1. Protein-losing enteropathy as a result of colon polyposis and colon cancer: a multidisciplinary approach to diagnosis and treatment.
- Author
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Kuipers H, van Westreenen HL, Moll FCP, and de Vos Tot Nederveen Cappel WH
- Subjects
- Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Colonic Polyps surgery, Colonic Polyps complications, Colonic Polyps diagnosis, Colonoscopy, Tomography, X-Ray Computed, Protein-Losing Enteropathies etiology, Protein-Losing Enteropathies diagnosis, Protein-Losing Enteropathies therapy, Colonic Neoplasms complications, Colonic Neoplasms diagnosis, Colonic Neoplasms surgery, Colectomy
- Abstract
A man in his 60s presented to our emergency department with severe peripheral pitting oedema, weight gain, dyspnoea and diarrhoea. Blood tests showed a hypoalbuminaemia of 15 g/L. A suspicion of protein-losing enteropathy arose after the exclusion of albuminuria, cardiac failure, protein deficiency and liver cirrhosis. An abdominal CT scan revealed a wall thickening of the colon, and a subsequent colonoscopy identified multiple large obstructive polyps in the ascending colon. The patient underwent a right hemicolectomy which revealed the presence of tubulovillous polyps and a pT2N0 colon carcinoma. Following surgery, the patient experienced clinical improvement with normalisation of serum albumin and resolution of the oedema.Protein-losing enteropathy should be considered an underlying syndrome in patients with peripheral oedema and hypoalbuminaemia in the absence of cardiac failure, proteinuria, malnutrition and hepatic disease. This diagnostic process requires a multidisciplinary approach. For adequate treatment, the primary cause of protein-losing enteropathy needs to be investigated., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2024. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)
- Published
- 2024
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