Intestinal crypt lesions associated with protein‐losing enteropathy in the dog

MD Willard, G Helman, JM Fradkin… - Journal of Veterinary …, 2000 - Wiley Online Library
MD Willard, G Helman, JM Fradkin, T Becker, RM Brown, BC Lewis, BR Weeks
Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 2000Wiley Online Library
Six dogs were diagnosed with protein‐losing enteropathy (PLE). There was no evidence of
inappropriate inflammatory infiltrates or lymphangiectasia in multiple mucosal biopsies of
the small intestine of 4 of the dogs. The 5th and 6th dogs had obvious lymphangiectasia and
a moderate infiltrate of inflammatory cells in the intestinal mucosa. All 6 dogs had a large
number of dilated intestinal crypts that were filled with mucus, sloughed epithelial cells,
and/or inflammatory cells. Whether PLE occurs in these dogs because of protein lost from …
Six dogs were diagnosed with protein‐losing enteropathy (PLE). There was no evidence of inappropriate inflammatory infiltrates or lymphangiectasia in multiple mucosal biopsies of the small intestine of 4 of the dogs. The 5th and 6th dogs had obvious lymphangiectasia and a moderate infiltrate of inflammatory cells in the intestinal mucosa. All 6 dogs had a large number of dilated intestinal crypts that were filled with mucus, sloughed epithelial cells, and/or inflammatory cells. Whether PLE occurs in these dogs because of protein lost from the dilated crypts into the intestinal lumen or whether the dilated crypts are a mucosal reaction due to another undetermined lesion that is responsible for alimentary tract protein loss is unknown. However, when large numbers of dilated intestinal crypts are present, they appear to be associated with PLE even if there are no other remarkable lesions in the intestinal mucosa.
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