What Is Protein Losing Enteropathy?
In protein losing enteropathy (Greek enteron = intestine; pathy = disease), proteins are lost through the gut wall into the gut hollow, resulting in low blood proteins and leg swelling. Proteins are lost through the damaged gut wall (see causes bellow) or through intact gut wall due to blocked drainage of proteins by intestinal lymphatic vessels (1).
Symptoms
Symptoms of protein losing enteropathy include:
- Leg swelling (result of low levels of proteins in the blood)
- Diarrhea (from the original intestinal disease)
- Blood in the stool (if ulcers develop during intestinal disease)
- Weight loss (from reduced absorption of nutrients in damaged small intestine)
- Various infections (due to lowered immunity)
continue reading Protein Losing Enteropathy – Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment
