Diarrhoea in a 2-year-old boy – thinking beyond the gut
Yaryna Romanyshyn1, Yarema Voznytsa1, Bohdan Romanyshyn2, Khrystyna Lischuk-Yakymovych3
Affiliation and address for correspondence
Pediatr Med Rodz 2018, 14 (2), p. 237–240
DOI:
10.15557/PiMR.2018.0025
Abstract
We report a male child with an unusual, very rare cause of chronic diarrhoea – WDHA (watery diarrhoea, hypokalaemia, achlorhydria) syndrome. A 2-year-old boy presented with long-term diarrhoea, failure to thrive and a presumed diagnosis of coeliac disease. The failure of a gluten-free diet, permanent hypokalaemia and the progressive worsening of the patient’s condition led to the finding of an adrenal tumour (mature ganglioneuroma) with elevation of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) – criteria for the diagnosis of WDHA syndrome. Complete symptoms resolution occurred after tumour excision.
Keywords
WDHA, VIP, celiac disease, hypokalaemia
