Transient protein-losing enteropathy and enlarged gastric rugae in childhood.

Data on two patients with massive but transient protein-losing enteropathy due to gastric disease suggest that antibody-mediated allergic reactions may have been responsible for the clinical picture. The majority of patients described in the literature have had evidence of a preceding or concomitant viral infection, and three of these have had evidence of infection with cytomegalovirus. Recovery occurred relatively rapidly in all patients without sequelae. The syndrome may be a variant of eosinophilic gastroenteritis.