Protein-Losing Enteropathy as the Principal Manifestation of Constrictive Pericarditis

doi:10.1111/j.1525-1497.2005.0202.x

If you are seeing this message, you may be experiencing temporary network problems. Please wait a few minutes and refresh the page. If the problem persists, you may wish to report it to your local Network Manager.

It is also possible that your web browser is not configured or not able to display style sheets. In this case, although the visual presentation will be degraded, the site should continue to be functional. We recommend using the latest version of Microsoft or Mozilla web browser to help minimise these problems.

Wiley InterScience

Journal of General Internal Medicine

Volume 20 Issue 10, Pages 958 - 958

Published Online: 5 Aug 2005

Published on behalf of

Go to Society Site

< Previous Abstract | Next Abstract >

Save Article to My Profile Download Citation Request Permissions

Abstract | References | Full Text: HTML, PDF (Size: 376K) | Related Articles | Citation Tracking

Protein-Losing Enteropathy as the Principal Manifestation of Constrictive Pericarditis

Nikolaos Nikolaidis, MD ¹ , Konstantinos Tziomalos, MD ¹ , Olga Giouleme, MD ¹ , Dimitrios Gkisakis, MD ¹ , Amalia Kokkinomagoulou, MD ¹ , Nikolaos Karatzas ² , Athanassios Papanikolaou, MD ³ , Ioannis Tsitourides ⁴ , Nikolaos Eugenidis ¹ , Athanassios Kontopoulos ¹

¹ 2nd Propaedeutic Department of Internal Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Hippokration General Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece; ² Department of Nuclear Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Hippokration General Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece; ³ Department of Pathology, Hippokration General Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece; ⁴ Department of Radiology, Papageorgiou General Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece

Address correspondence and requests for reprints to Dr. Nikolaidis: 49 Konstantinoupoleos Street, Thessaloniki 54642, Greece (e-mail: niknik@med.auth.gr).

The authors have no conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise, to declare.

KEYWORDS

constrictive pericarditis • protein-losing enteropathy • heart magnetic resonance imaging • technetium 99m-labeled human serum albumin scintigraphy • intestinal lymphangiectasia • pericardiectomy

ABSTRACT

Constrictive pericarditis represents a rare cause of protein-losing enteropathy resulting from intestinal lymphangiectasia. We report the case of a patient with an atypical clinical presentation of constrictive pericarditis and protein-losing enteropathy as its principal manifestation; he was successfully treated with pericardiectomy. We conclude that constrictive pericarditis should be considered in the presence of protein-losing enteropathy and also, protein-losing enteropathy should be considered in the differential diagnosis of hypoalbuminemia.

Received for publication May 24, 2005
and in revised form April 6, 2005
Accepted for publication May 24, 2005

DIGITAL OBJECT IDENTIFIER (DOI)

10.1111/j.1525-1497.2005.0202.x About DOI