A case of alpha chain disease, involving stomach, small and large intestine, and caecum with poor prognosis is reported. Endoscopic examination revealed gastric erosion, edematous mucosa with enlarged villi of duodenum and jejunum, multiple hyperplastic lymph follicles of terminal ileum and thickening mucosa of caecum. Light microscopy revealed a conspicuous infiltration of plasma cells and lymphocytes in gastric, duodenal, jejunal and caecal lamina propria. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated alpha heavy chain protein devoid of light chain in these plasma cells. The patient developed paralytic ileus and died of septic shock on the 179th hospital day.
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Tashiro et al. (1995) studied this question.
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