NONSECRETORY ALPHA-CHAIN DISEASE INVOLVING STOMACH, SMALL-INTESTINE AND COLON

A case of alpha chain disease, involving stomach, small and large inte stine, and caecum with poor prognosis is reported, Endoscopic examinat ion revealed gastric erosion, edematous mucosa with enlarged villi of duodenum and jejunum, multiple hyperplastic lymph follicles of termina l ileum and thickening mucosa of caecum, Light microscopy revealed a c onspicuous infiltration of plasma cells and lymphocytes in gastric, du odenal, jejunal and caecal lamina propria, Immnohistochemistry demonst rated alpha heavy chain protein devoid of light chain in these plasma cells, The patient developed paralytic ileus and died of septic shock on the 179th hospital day.