A case of protein loosing enteritis probably because of cytomegalovirus infectio

Abstract

An 80-year-old man, who had been suffering from anorexia and upper abdominal pain since 6 months ago, was sent to our hospital suspected of protein loosing enteritis (PLE) because of the marked hypoalbuminemia and the edematous states in the jejunum found by computed tomography.
α1-antitrypsin clearance test was positively high and 99mTc-HAS-D scintigraphy showed leakages mainly in the jejunum and slightly in the ascending colon. Multiple ulcers were found in the jejunum by double balloon endoscopy. The histopathological findings showed owl’s eye including bodies in the epithelium cells of the jejunum and these cells were positive for anti-CMV antibodies. Therefore we supposed CMV had induced the membrane inflammation in the jejunum and it had caused PLE.