[Protein-losing enteropathy--a new alternative of diagnosing and monitoring]

Protein-losing gastroenteropathy (PE) is characterised by excessive loss of protein into the gastrointestinal tract. This condition associates not only with gastrointestinal disorders, but also with heart diseases, collagenoses, and several other generalized disorders. The symptoms are multiform and not necessarily abdominal. The treatment may be causal or symptomatic, and quite frequently it is possible to reduce the protein loss. The pathogenesis is considered multifactorial, but our knowledge of PE, including prevalence and clinical significance, is sparse, partly due to lack of appropriate examination procedures. Previous techniques were cumbersome and hampered by shortcomings. With 111In-transferrin, quantification and scintigraphic localization of the protein loss are obtained in one process and faeces collection is no longer needed. The method is promising, but further evaluation is necessary before it is brought into common clinical use.