title: Recurrent and progressive abdominal pain and enteritis in a Japanese patient with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria.
abstract: This case report describes a young male patient with recurrent abdominal pain persisting for more than 16 months. Clinical investigations showed signs of inflammation and pancytopenia. A diagnosis of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) was made 9 months after the onset of the abdominal pain, following endoscopic examinations that revealed evidence of a previously unknown hemorrhage. Regular monitoring indicated that the abdominal pain was associated with elevations in lactate dehydrogenase, C-reactive proteins, and D-dimer levels. The patient started treatment with the complement inhibitor eculizumab shortly after it was approved for use in Japanese PNH patients with hemolysis. Resolution of the abdominal pain and normalization of clinical parameters were noted within 3 weeks from treatment initiation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Minoh City Hospital, 7-1 Kayano 5-chome, Minoh City, Osaka 562-0014, Japan.
authors.forename: Akihisa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hino
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology and Chemotherapy, Osaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases, 8-13F, 1-3-2 Nakamichi, Higashinari-ku, Osaka 537-8511, Japan.
authors.forename: Yukiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamashita
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Minoh City Hospital, 7-1 Kayano 5-chome, Minoh City, Osaka 562-0014, Japan.
authors.forename: Mitsuhiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Minoh City Hospital, 7-1 Kayano 5-chome, Minoh City, Osaka 562-0014, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasuhiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Azenishi