Hypoproteinemia Probably Due to Deficient Formation of Plasma Proteins

Attention has been repeatedly called to the association of hypoproteinemia with edema. Recently, Peters and Van Slyke1summarized the existing information. Hypoproteinemia has been observed repeatedly as a result of excessive loss of protein, decreased consumption of nitrogenous foodstuffs, and increased protein wastage. We are presenting a case with low plasma proteins and with edema which does not appear to be due to any one of these three causes. A man, aged 51, Irish born, was admitted to the hospital because of edema of the genitalia and lower extremities. He had been treated for six months at the age of 4 years for "dropsy," which disappeared during that period of observation. For many years there was a slight but constant edema of the feet and ankles. The abdomen had been large since early childhood. Ten years before entry, a brownish discoloration, which was followed by some induration, appeared over