Protein-losing Enteropathy in Association with Right Heart Failure

Abstract

A 65-year-old woman, with past history of mitral valve replacement, developed severe right heart failure. In addition to elevated right heart pressure, she had significant hypoalbuminemia as the important cause of refractory edema. Technetium-99m-labelled human serum albumin scintigraphy showed leak of protein from the transverse colon and the excretion of alpha 1 antitrypsin in the stool was markedly increased. Diagnosis of protein losing enteropathy was established. The etiology was increased lymphatic pressure secondary to right heart failure of multifactorial cause, including elevated left side filling pressures and out of proportion pulmonary hypertension due to old tuberculosis, resulting in significant tricuspid regurgitation. The patient was managed conservatively with increased dose of furosemide from 10-20mg every other day up to 40-60mg/day, and maximum dose of tolvaptan (a vasopressin 2 receptor blocker) of 15mg/ day, in addition to high protein diet.