Pediatric hypertrophic gastropathy.

Four previously healthy children presented in a 6-week period with marked hypoproteinemia without liver disease, malnutrition, or significant proteinuria. They all had strikingly similar radiographic findings consisting of enlarged folds confined to the fundus and body of the stomach. Three of the children had prodromal symptoms suggesting a viral illness. Cytomegalovirus was cultured from the urine in all cases and from the gastric biopsy specimens in three patients. Two of these patients also showed intranuclear inclusions in their biopsy specimens compatible with cytomegalovirus. It is not certain if cytomegalovirus was the cause of the illness.