Venous Properties in a Fontan Patient with Successful Remission of Protein-Losing Enteropathy

A Possible Marker for Venous Stagnation over Central Venous Pressure

Abstract

We present the case of a 1-year-old boy who developed protein-losing enteropathy (PLE) within 2 months of a fenestrated Fontan procedure. His fenestration rapidly closed despite bilateral pulmonary stenosis (BPS). Subsequent to PLE onset, both fenestration and the bilateral pulmonary artery were reconstructed, and the patient's PLE had been in remission, with additive use of medications, for more than 2 years. Notably, although fenestration closed again and central venous pressure (CVP) reduction was minimal, the surrogates of venous return resistance were markedly suppressed as shown by increased blood volume, reduced estimated mean circulatory filling pressure, and suppressed CVP augmentation against a contrast agent. Taken together, dynamic characteristics of venous stagnation, rather than the absolute value of CVP, were ameliorated by the pulmonary reconstruction and use of medications, suggesting a significant role of venous property in the physiology of PLE. In addition, simultaneous measures of CVP and ventricular end-diastolic pressure during the abdominal compression procedure suggested a limited therapeutic role of fenestration against PLE in this patient.