Lymph loss in the bowel and severe nutritional disturbances in Crohn's disease

J Clin Gastroenterol. 1999 Oct;29(3):277-9. doi: 10.1097/00004836-199910000-00011.

Abstract

A severe nutritional deficiency status is described in a 22-year-old patient with Crohn's disease. The clinical picture on admission was dominated by an episode of gastrointestinal bleeding secondary to clotting disturbances (vitamin K deficiency) and severe cachexia due to a protein energy malnutrition. The mechanisms of severe nutritional disturbances in Crohn's disease are multifactorial. In this patient, lymphatic leakage into the intestinal lumen was a major contributing factor in the pathogenesis of protein-losing enteropathy, fat malabsorption, and lymphocytopenia. The authors were able to demonstrate this intestinal lymph loss by nuclear imaging.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Crohn Disease / complications*
  • Crohn Disease / therapy
  • Fatty Liver / diagnosis
  • Fatty Liver / etiology*
  • Fatty Liver / therapy
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Hypoproteinemia / diagnosis
  • Hypoproteinemia / etiology*
  • Hypoproteinemia / therapy
  • Intestinal Mucosa / metabolism*
  • Intestinal Mucosa / pathology
  • Lymph / metabolism*
  • Male
  • Nutrition Disorders / diagnosis
  • Nutrition Disorders / etiology*
  • Nutrition Disorders / therapy
  • Prognosis
  • Severity of Illness Index