Intestinal Lymphangiectasia
What is Intestinal Lymphangiectasia?
Intestinal lymphangiectasia affects children and young adults. It is an abnormality of lymphatic channels (the tubular system of channels that transports fats from the small intestine to the liver and other organs). When the lymphatic channels become blocked they become very dilated and rupture and discharge their contents into the colon.
Intestinal lymphangiectasia can be congenital or acquired. The acquired forms are usually due to some form of infiltrative or mechanical process such as amyloidosis or malignancy.
- swelling of the lower limbs, also known as edema
- mild diarrhea or steatorrhea
- weight loss, fatigue, and abdominal pain
- Endoscopic examination
- Blood tests indicate a significant protein loss.
- Leakage of lymphatic juices into the small bowel
The diagnosis is confirmed by taking a biopsy from the lining of the small intestine, which shows typical gross dilatation of the lymphatic vessels.
Patients are treated with a low fat diet; normal fat is replaced with medium chain triglycerides.
