Protein-losing enteropathy

What it means

Abnormal loss of protein from the digestive tract related to excessive leakage of plasma proteins into the lumen of the gastrointestinal tract.

Affected individuals may present with peripheral edema, diarrhea with or without bleeding, abdominal pain, and/or weight loss. Protein-losing enteropathy is not a disease but is a manifestation of a number of gastrointestinal diseases and can be related to factors such as lymphatic obstruction, mucosal disease with erosions, ulcerations, or increased mucosal permeability to proteins.

Rare diseases that can present with this11

The range is how often this sign appears among people diagnosed with each disease — it is not a probability of having any of them. Many of these signs also occur in common, non-rare conditions. A sign on this page is a conversation to have with a clinician, not a conclusion.

Part of the broader category