Successful treatment of protein-losing enteropathy induced by intestinal lymphangiectasia in a liver cirrhosis patient with octreotide: a case report

J Korean Med Sci. 2004 Jun;19(3):466-9. doi: 10.3346/jkms.2004.19.3.466.

Abstract

A 47-yr-old man with hepatitis B virus associated liver cirrhosis was admitted to our hospital with diarrhea and generalized edema and diagnosed as protein-losing enteropathy due to intestinal lymphangiectasia by intestinal biopsy and 99m Tc albumin scan. During hospitalization, he received subcutaneous octreotide therapy. After 2 weeks of octreotide therapy, follow-up albumin scan showed no albumin leakage, and the serum albumin level was sustained. We speculate that liver cirrhosis can be a cause of intestinal lymphangiectasia and administration of octreotide should be considered for patients with intestinal lymphangiectasia whose clinical and bio-chemical abnormalities do not respond to a low-fat diet.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Duodenum / pathology
  • Female
  • Hepatitis B / complications
  • Hepatitis B virus / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Intestinal Diseases / drug therapy*
  • Intestinal Diseases / virology
  • Jejunum / pathology
  • Liver Cirrhosis / drug therapy*
  • Liver Cirrhosis / virology
  • Lymphangiectasis, Intestinal / drug therapy*
  • Lymphangiectasis, Intestinal / virology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Octreotide / pharmacology*
  • Protein-Losing Enteropathies / drug therapy*

Substances

  • Octreotide