[A case of isolated tricuspid regurgitation associated with protein-losing gastroenteropathy]

A 43 year old woman was admitted to our hospital in April 1987 due to shortness of breath and pedal edema. She had a history of sepsis associated with the crisis of hyperthyroidism 15 years prior to the admission. Physical examination revealed a badly nourished with ascites: weight was 56 kg and height 156 cm. The heart sounds were distant with mild holosystoric murmur (grade I/VI) at xiphoisternum. The chest X-ray showed cardiomegaly (CTR: 72.3%) with pleural effusion. The electrocardiogram showed atrial fibrillation, low voltage and right ventriculer hypertrophy. The echocardiogram showed marked dilatation of right atrium and ventricle with very short septal leaflet of tricuspid valve. The anterior and posterior leaflets were undetected. The tricuspid regurgitant doppler signal was recorded up to hepatic vein. No other abnormalities were noted in other valves. The white cell count was 4900 with lymphocytopenia (26%; T-cell 82%, B-cell 13%). Serum total protein was reduced to 3.4 g/dl with albumin 1.64 g/dl. Immunoelectrophoresis showed normal IgG, IgA and IgM. Proteinuria was not recognized. Fecal excretion of polyvinylpyrrolidone-131I (PVP) was elevated to 2.8%, The systolic pressure in pulmonary artery, right ventricle, right atrium, superior and inferior vena cave were almost equal as 26 mmHg. The pulmonary arterial scintigraphy disclosed multiple peripheral defects in both lungs. Two weeks after the operation of tricuspid valve replacement based on the diagnosis of protein-losing enteropathy due to isolated tricuspid regurgitation, serum total protein and albumin were normalized to 6.8 g/dl and 3.6 g/dl respectively, but the lymphocytopenia was persistent. She become very well, with free of ascites and edema.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)