A primary intestinal lymphangiectasia patient diagnosed by capsule endoscopy and confirmed at surgery: A case report.

A primary intestinal lymphangiectasia patient diagnosed by capsule endoscopy and confirmed at surgery: A case report.
World J Gastroenterol. 2007 Apr

Fang YH,
Zhang BL,
Wu JG,
Chen CX.
Department of gastroenterlogy, The First Affiliated Hospital of College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, #79 Qingchun Road, Hangzhou 310003, Zhejiang Province, China. chcx@zj139.com.

Intestinal lymphangiectasia (IL) is a rare disease characterized by dilated lymphatic vessles in the intestinal wall and small bowel mesentery which induce loss of protein and lymphocytes into bowel lumen. Because it most often occurs in the intestine and cannot be detected by upper gastroendoscopy or colonoscopy, and the value of common image examinations such as X-ray and computerized tomography (CT) are limited, the diagnosis of IL is difficult, usually needing the help of surgery.

Capsule endoscopy is useful in diagnosing intestinal diseases, such as IL. We here report a case of IL in a female patient who was admitted for the complaint of recurrent edema accompanied with diarrhea and abdominal pain over the last twenty years, and aggravated ten days ago. She was diagnosed by M2A capsule endoscopy as a primary IL and confirmed by surgical and pathological examination.

World Journal of Gastroenterology