No abstract available.
Humans ; Hypoalbuminemia* ; Scrub Typhus*

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multisystemic disease that can affect most organ system, although gastrointestinal (GI) manifestations are relatively uncommon. Protein losing enteropathy (PLE) is associated with several clinical disorders, but it is an unusual manifestation of SLE. Of over 20 reported cases of PLE associated with SLE, the pathogenesis of lupus associated PLE remains unclear. We describe a patient with edema, diarrhea, abdomianl pain, and hypoalbuminemia who had been diagnosed SLE. PLE was diagnosed by the method of alpha1-antitrypsin clearance in stool.
Diarrhea ; Edema ; Humans ; Hypoalbuminemia ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic* ; Protein-Losing Enteropathies*

Most patients with nephrotic syndrome visit the hospital because of edema due to hypoalbuminemia induced by severe proteinuria. However, rare cases have reported arterial thrombosis as the main problem complicating nephrotic syndrome. Arterial thrombosis combined with nephrotic syndrome is rarer than venous thrombosis, and it usually develops during treatment with steroids or diuretics. Arterial thrombosis is rarely diagnosed as the initial sign of nephrotic syndrome. We report the case of a 38-year-old-woman with membranous glomerulonephritis presenting with right common iliac artery thrombosis as the initial sign.
Diuretics ; Edema ; Glomerulonephritis, Membranous ; Humans ; Hypoalbuminemia ; Iliac Artery ; Nephrotic Syndrome ; Proteinuria ; Steroids ; Thrombosis ; Venous Thrombosis

PURPOSE: Various factors have been cited in the morbidity of small bowel resections, but their clinical importance is uncertain. We wanted to know what were the significant risk factors elevating the morbidity and how to reduce the morbidity of small bowel resections effectively. METHODS: A retrospective study was done for 107 patients who had undergone small bowel resections from Jan. 1992 to Jul. 1999. The patients were evaluated based on sex and age, the cause and site of resection, the presence of previous abdominal operations, the morbidity, the mortality, and the cause of death in order to determine their clinical significance for small bowel resections. Also the differences of morbidity were analyzed according to the risk factors of old age, pre-op hypotension and hypoalbuminemia, the cause of resection, emergency operation, the presence of a previous abdominal operation, the length of the resection, the presence of associated chronic illness, and spillage of the intestinal content. RESULTS: Complications after small bowel resections occurred in 41 cases (38.3%). The morbidity was significantly increased in the cases with associated chronic illness and spillage of intestinal content by perforation combined with strangulation (p<0.05). Factors such as old age, hypotension, hypoalbuminemia, cause of resection, emergency operation, the length of the resection and spillage of intestinal contents by simple perforation elevated the morbidity, but this result is not statistically significant (0.050.5). CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that intensive peri-operative care, a rapid and precise operative technique, and the surgeon's efforts can decrease the morbidity and the mortality after small bowel resections. The selection of the high risk patients should be done based on the surgeon's knowledge of the risk factors including associated chronic illness, and cumulative data obtained by using instituted surveillance for morbidity.
Cause of Death ; Chronic Disease ; Emergencies ; Gastrointestinal Contents ; Humans ; Hypoalbuminemia ; Hypotension ; Mortality ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors*

The causes of hypocalcemia in patients suffering from severe infection including sepsis are largely uncertain. So we measured serum albumin, total protein, cholesterol, PTH, and calcitonin of the infection-associated hypocalcemic children and compared with those of normocalcemic children suffering from tsutsugamushi disease. All had normal renal functions and had been admitted to the department of pediatrics of Gyeongsang National University Hospital. Hypocalcemic patients were hypoalbuminemic. Serum total calcium was inappropriately more decreased compared to the decreased amount of serum albumin in the hypocalcemic group. We also observed more frequent incidence of hypocholesterolemia (<100mg/dL) in this group. And serum PTH was appropriately elevated in the hypocalcemic patients. Serum calcitonin was elevated in both groups, but 6 times higher in the hypocalcemic group than in the normocalcemic one. Serum total calcium was positively correlated with serum albumin and negatively correlated with serum PTH and calcitonin.
Calcitonin ; Calcium ; Child ; Cholesterol ; Humans ; Hypoalbuminemia ; Hypocalcemia* ; Incidence ; Pediatrics ; Scrub Typhus ; Sepsis ; Serum Albumin

Eosinophilic gastroenteritis is a rare disorder of unknown origin that is pathologically characterized by marked infiltration of eosinophils in the wall of the gastrointestinal tracts. Eosinophilic gastroenteritis is often classified according to the layer of the bowel wall involved. We experienced two cases of eosinophilic gastroenteritis. One case having whole small bowel wall involvement resulting in small bowel obstruction and eosinophilic ascites underwent bowel resection followed by oral steroid treatment. The other case having mucosal layer involvement with chronic diarrhea and hypoalbuminemia was treated with oral corticosteroid and responded dramatically. In addition, we report one case of hypereosinophilic syndrome involving the gastrointestinal tracts. The patient presented with abdominal pain, ascites, and urticaria. and also showed good response to oral steroid.
Abdominal Pain ; Ascites ; Diarrhea ; Eosinophils* ; Gastroenteritis* ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Humans ; Hypereosinophilic Syndrome* ; Hypoalbuminemia ; Urticaria

Angiofollicular lymph node hyperplasia (AFLNH) with well marginated lymphoid masses, is a rare benign disease of unknown etiology. The majority of the disease develop intrathoracically. Histologically this disease can be divided into the hyaline-vascular and the plasma cell types with the hyaline-vascular type prevailing. The plasma cell variant has been associated with nephritic syndrome, anemia, growth failure, fever, hyperglobulinemia, peripheral neuropathy, and hypoalbuminemia. Surgical resection is known to be treatment of choice in most cases, and radiotherapy is reserved for advanced, unresectable lesions. We report a complete remission of AFLNH in a case treated by surgical excision followed by irradiation.
Anemia ; Fever ; Giant Lymph Node Hyperplasia ; Hypoalbuminemia ; Lymph Nodes* ; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases ; Plasma Cells ; Radiotherapy

Pregnancy is rarely encountered in women with liver cirrhosis, but can occur in all forms of liver cirrhosis. The amount of data regarding pregnancy in cirrhotic patients is not great and thus no clear-cut guidelines for management can be outlined. Another interesting point of pregnancy in liver cirrhosis would be how pregnancy affects liver function in cirrhotic patients. In Korea, only 6 pregnancies in 5 patients have been reported. Recently, we experienced a case of pregnancy in a patient with liver cirrhosis. A 36 year-old, primigravida woman presented at 23 weeks of gestation. B-viral liver cirrhosis was diagnosed 2 months earlier when she had developed generalized edema and ascites. We observed a recovery of hyperbilirubinemia and hypoalbuminemia after a therapeutic termination of pregnancy. This case may illustrate that pregnancy can deteriorate liver function in some patients with liver cirrhosis. We report this case with an analysis of the reported cases in Korea.
Adult ; Ascites ; Edema ; Female ; Humans ; Hyperbilirubinemia ; Hypoalbuminemia ; Korea* ; Liver Cirrhosis* ; Liver* ; Pregnancy*

Intestinal lymphangiectasia, one of the protein-losing gastroenteropathies, is an uncommon disease characterized by dilated intestinal lymphatics, enteric protein loss, edema, hypoalbuminemia, and lympocytopenia. Small bowel biopsy and CT have been used to confirm the diagnosis of intestinal lymphangiectasia. Small bowel biopsy shows collections of abnormal dilated lacteals in submucosa with distortion of villi and CT findings have been described as diffuse nodular thickening of the small bowel and as linear hypodense streaking densities in the small bowel caused by dilated lymphatic channels. Demonstration of increased enteric protein loss using 51Cr-, 131I- or 99mTc-labeled albumin, timed measurement of fecal excretion of radioactivity or by measuring fecal clearance of alpha 1-antitrypsin can also help the diagnosis. We experienced a rare case of intestinal lymphangiectasia in an eight year old boy who presented with facial edema, abdominal distension and intermittent diarrhea. We report a patient with intestinal lymphangiectasia, in whom abdominal CT, 99mTc-labeled albumin scintitigraphy, and stool alpha 1-antitrypsin measurement played key roles in determining the diagnosis. A brief review of literature was made.
alpha 1-Antitrypsin ; Biopsy ; Diagnosis ; Diarrhea ; Edema ; Humans ; Hypoalbuminemia ; Male ; Radioactivity ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Primary intestinal lymphangiectasia is a congenital lymphatic disorder characterized by dilated intestinal lacteals resulting in lymph leakage into the small bowel lumen and responsible for protein losing enteropathy. As a result, generalized edema, hypoalbuminemia, and lymphocytopenia are clinically manifested. We could not find the reason by several examinations. Therefore, we performed double balloon enteroscopy (DBE), and intestnal lymphangiectasia was diagnosed histologically by a biopsy. DBE is a safe and effective method to diagnose small bowel lymphangiectasia. We report a case of primary intestinal lymphangiectasia, which occurred in a 54-year-old male patient with generalized edema and ascites.
Ascites ; Biopsy ; Double-Balloon Enteroscopy ; Edema ; Humans ; Hypoalbuminemia ; Lymphopenia ; Male ; Protein-Losing Enteropathies