Lymphographic studies on protein-losing enteropathy.

Lymphographic studies were made on diseases of protein-losing in 19 cases, which include 9 cases of diseases of the digestive canal, 2 cases of constrictive pericarditis, and 8 cases of protein-losing enteropathy. Lymphographically in the diseases of the digestive canal no abnormal findings were detected, but in the constrictive pericarditis remarkable dilation and kinking of the thoracic duct with relatively poor congestion of the lumbar lymphatic vessels were observed. In the intestinal lymphangiectasia dysplasia of the lymphatics, passage disturbance of the thoracic duct with the congestive lumbar lymphatics, reflux to abdominal organs, oozing of contrast medium into the intestinal lumen were disclosed. Also experimentally lymphographic studies in thoracic duct-ligated dogs revealed the reflux to the mesenterial lymphatic system causing protein-losing into the intestine.