Protein-losing enteropathy in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome due to intestinal Kaposi's sarcoma.
Patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) often have hypoalbuminemia. We report the case of a patient with AIDS in whom marked hypoalbuminemia developed due to a protein-losing enteropathy caused by small intestinal Kaposi's sarcoma--an entity not previously reported in AIDS. The patient presented with ankle edema, pleural effusions, and a decrease in albumin from 3.0 g/dL (30 g/L) to 1.7 g/dL (17 g/L) over one month. Protein-losing enteropathy was confirmed by a marked elevation in fecal alpha-1 antitrypsin, and extensive evaluation of the gastrointestinal tract revealed the source to be small intestinal Kaposi's sarcoma. A protein-losing enteropathy should be considered when hypoalbuminemia is encountered in a patient with AIDS.
D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D000328:Adult; D004379:Duodenal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D007580:Jejunal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D009378:Neoplasms, Multiple Primary; D011504:Protein-Losing Enteropathies / Q000209:etiology*; D012514:Sarcoma, Kaposi / Q000150:complications*; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000172:deficiency*
D012709:Serum Albumin