A case of severe protein-losing enteropathy as a late complication of pelvic irradiation.
Protein-losing enteropathy is the manifestation of a diverse set of disorders, and it is characterized by the excessive loss of plasma proteins into the affected portions of the gastrointestinal tract, and this results in hypoalbuminemia. We report here on a case of severe protein-losing enteropathy with the typical clinical features of hypoalbuminemia, dependent edema and increased alpha 1-antitrypsin (alpha1-AT) clearance, as measured by using 24 hr stool testing. The associated disorder with the protein-losing enteropathy of our case was radiation enterocolitis and lymphatic obstruction that was due to radiation treatment and lymph node dissection in the remote past for the treatment of uterine cervical carcinoma. Our case suggests that chronic radiation enterocolitis can result in irreversible injury to the intestinal mucosa and a protein-losing enteropathy, which can bring about a very poor quality of life and even the loss of life.
Sohn
Wee Sik
WS
Departments of Internal Medicine, Korea Cancer Center Hospital, Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Science, Seoul, Korea.
Kim
Duck Ryung
DR
Lee
Jong Sin
JS
Cheon
Gi Jeong
GJ
Lee
Byung-Hee
BH
Lee
Seung-Sook
SS
Jeong
Sook-Hyang
SH
D000368:Aged; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000532:radiotherapy; D004760:Enterocolitis / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008206:Lymphatic Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology; D011504:Protein-Losing Enteropathies / Q000209:etiology*; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy