The Etiology of Hypoproteinemia in a Patient With Congenital Chylous Ascites

An infant with congenital chylous ascites and Milroy's disease, as well as two patients with Milroy's disease of the lower extremities, have been studied with regard to the turnover of I131-labeled human serum albumin. The children with Milroy's diease had a normal turnover of radioiodinted albumin, whereas the child with congenital chylous ascites had a markedly increased turnover due to loss of serum protein into the gastrointestinal tract. The hypoproteinemia which is a characteristic finding in congenital chylous ascites may be due to such gastrointestinal loss of protein in serum.