eMedicine Specialties > Pediatrics: General Medicine > Gastroenterology

Protein-Losing Enteropathy: Follow-up

Author: Simon S Rabinowitz, MD, PhD, Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, New York Medical College; Chairman, Chief and Medical Administrator, Department of Pediatrics, Chief, Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Richmond University Medical Center
Contributor Information and Disclosures

Updated: Aug 17, 2009

Follow-up

Further Outpatient Care

  • Patients who develop protein-losing enteropathy (PLE) after Fontan procedures represent a particularly vulnerable cohort with a high rate of significant morbidity and mortality.
  • Close follow-up coupled with an aggressive approach to reverse this problem is warranted.

Miscellaneous

Medicolegal Pitfalls

  • Failure to consider protein-losing enteropathy (PLE) in any patient who presents with edema
  • Failure to review all measurements during physical examination because weight alone may be misleading because of fluid retention
  • Failure to supplement diets of patients with protein-losing enteropathy with fat-soluble vitamins (ie, A, D, E, K)
  • Failure to recognize the poor prognosis of patients with protein-losing enteropathy after Fontan.
 
Acknowledgments

The authors and editors of eMedicine gratefully acknowledge the contributions of previous author Barry K Wershil, MD, to the original writing and development of this article.



More on Protein-Losing Enteropathy

Overview: Protein-Losing Enteropathy
Differential Diagnoses & Workup: Protein-Losing Enteropathy
Treatment & Medication: Protein-Losing Enteropathy
Follow-up: Protein-Losing Enteropathy
References
Further Reading
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Further Reading

  • Proujanksy R. Protein-Losing Enteropathy. In Walker, Durie, Hamilton, et al eds: Pediatric Gastrointestinal Disease. BC Decker Inc. 2002.
  • Levin MS. Miscellaneous diseases of the small intestine: Protein-losing gastroenteropathy. In Tadataka Y, ed: Textbook of Gastroenterology. KB Lippincott. 1996.

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Keywords

protein-losing enteropathy, PLE, chronic diarrhea, hypoproteinemia, hypoalbuminemia, protein-losing gastroenteropathy, idiopathic hypoproteinemia, edema disease, nephrosis without nephrosis, nephrotic syndrome, liver disease, jaundice, splenomegaly, ascites, malrotation, tuberculosis, lymphoma, sarcoidosis, arsenic poisoning, Gaucher disease, Langerhans cell histiocytosis, constrictive pericarditis, congestive heart failure, cardiomyopathy, Clostridium difficile, Clostridium perfringens, Giardia lamblia, Helicobacter pylori, colonic malakoplakia, cytomegalovirus, malaria, measles, rotavirus, salmonella, schistosomiasis, graft versus host disease, Henoch-Schönlein purpura, Hirschsprung disease, inflammatory bowel disease, necrotizing enterocolitis, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, malnutrition, systemic lupus erythematosus, tropical sprue, treatment, diagnosis

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Contributor Information and Disclosures

Author

Simon S Rabinowitz, MD, PhD, Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, New York Medical College; Chairman, Chief and Medical Administrator, Department of Pediatrics, Chief, Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Richmond University Medical Center
Simon S Rabinowitz, MD, PhD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Pediatrics, American Association for the Advancement of Science, American College of Gastroenterology, American Gastroenterological Association, American Medical Association, New York Academy of Sciences, North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Phi Beta Kappa, and Sigma Xi
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Medical Editor

Robert Baldassano, MD, Director, Center for Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Division of Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania
Robert Baldassano, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Gastroenterological Association, and North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Pharmacy Editor

Mary L Windle, PharmD, Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Pharmacy, Pharmacy Editor, eMedicine
Disclosure: Pfizer Inc Stock Investment from financial planner; Avanir Pharma Stock Investment from financial planner ; WebMD Salary and stock Employment and investment from financial planner

Managing Editor

David A Piccoli, MD, Chief of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia; Professor, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
David A Piccoli, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, American Gastroenterological Association, and North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

CME Editor

Steven M Schwarz, MD, FAAP, FACN, AGAF, Professor of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital at Downstate, SUNY-Downstate Medical Center
Steven M Schwarz, MD, FAAP, FACN, AGAF is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Nutrition, American College of Physician Executives, American Gastroenterological Association, American Pediatric Society, Gastroenterology Research Group, New York Academy of Medicine, North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, and Society for Pediatric Research
Disclosure: TAP Pharmaceuticals Honoraria Speaking and teaching; Curemark, LLC Consulting fee Board membership; Centocor, Inc. Grant/research funds Independent contractor

Chief Editor

Carmen Cuffari, MD, Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Gastroenterology/Nutrition, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Carmen Cuffari, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Gastroenterology, American Gastroenterological Association, North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, and Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

 
 
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