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Case Report
 

Protein-Losing Enteropathy Associated With Egg Allergy in a 5-Month-Old Boy
 

M Kondo,1 T Fukao,1,2 K Omoya,1 N Kawamoto,1 M Aoki,1 T Teramoto,1 H Kaneko,1 N Kondo1

1Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu University, Gifu, Japan
2Medical Information Science Division, United Graduate School of Drug Discovery and Medical Information Sciences, Gifu University, Gifu, Japan

J Investig Allergol Clin Immunol 2008; Vol. 18(1): 63-66
 

 Abstract


Protein-losing enteropathy (PLE), the manifestation of a diverse set of disorders, is characterized by excessive loss of plasma proteins into the affected portions of the gastrointestinal tract, and this results in hypoalbuminemia. A 5-month-old breastfed boy presented severe PLE with hypogammaglobulinemia, hypocalcemia, and hypomagnesemia induced by an egg allergy. He developed hypocalcemic convulsions. The diagnosis of PLE was confi rmed by elevated fecal 1-antitrypsin clearance and a positive fi nding on a protein-losing scintigram. His allergy to egg delivered through maternal milk was confi rmed as the cause of PLE, since the mother’s elimination of egg from her diet improved his condition and maternal egg challenge provoked symptoms of diarrhea, vomiting, and elevated 1-antitrypsin clearance. At the time of writing, he is 22 months old and has experienced no further episodes after the elimination of egg-containing food.

Key words: Protein-losing enteropathy (PLE). Hypocalcemia. Egg allergy. Food challenge.