ABSTRACT

Objective: The aim of the study is to evaluate paediatric patients with protein losing enteropathy (PLE).

Methods: Fourteen cases diagnosed as PLE were evaluated in terms of aetiologies, diagnostic methods, laboratory findings, treatment procedures and long-term prognosis.

Results: Four of the cases had coeliac disease, three intestinal lymphangiectasia, three giardia infection, one H pylori infection and three cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection. Histopathological examinations of duodenum specimens revealed total villous atrophy in four cases, lymphatic dilatation in three cases, severe nodular appearance in four cases and no pathology in four cases. All of the cases except patients with intestinal lymphangiectasia were controlled by the appropriate treatment given for the underlying disease. The cases with CMV infection were treated with only supportive treatment and gancyclovir therapy was not needed.

Conclusion: When proteinuria is not detected in well-appearing children admitted with oedema, PLE must be considered.