[Idiopathic intestinal lymphangiectasia with hypoproteinemia. Unusual combination of complete diagnosis and ineffective therapy (author's transl)].

This case illustrates the difficulties which occasionally are encountered in diagnosing and treating small intestinal diseases. The delay in diagnosis was due to the fact that symptoms started in 1950 but the disease was not described until 11 years later. Once the diagnosis was established, there was an unexplained failure of response to appropriate therapy.