Intestinal lymphangiectasia--a report in two Chinese children

Two Chinese infants with asymmetrical lymphoedema and steatorrhoea were investigated. The laboratory investigations showed that they had hypoproteinaemia without proteinuria. One of them showed peripheral lymphopenia and hypogammaglobulinaemia. Radiologically, they had evidence of extensive lymphangiectasia of the small intestine. This was confirmed histologically. Endoscopy of one of them showed diffuse milky nodular duodenal mucosa. The appearance of the mucosa was rather typical of intestinal lymphangiectasia.