A Case of Cronkhite-Canada Syndrome Conducted with Capsule Endoscopy of Small Intestine / 대한소화기내시경학회지

ABSTRACT

Cronkhite-Canada syndrome is a very rare syndrome. This non-familial hamartomatous polyposis syndrome is characterized by multiple polyps on the entire gastrointestinal tract, nail dystrophy, skin pigmentation and systemic alopecia. The courses of this syndrome could be classified into five types according to clinical symptoms; diarrhea, taste disturbance, xerostomia, abdominal pain and alopecia. Cronkhite-Canada syndrome has a high mortality rate up to 45~60% due to nutritional absorption disturbance, hypoalbuminemia, recurrent infection, sepsis, heart failure and gastrointestinal bleeding. A pathogenesis of Cronkhite-Canada syndrome is still unknown, and only conservative treatment is available. We diagnosed a 55 years-old female with Cronkhite-Canada syndrome based on the clinical symptoms of nail change, taste disturbance and alopecia, and the histologic finding of polyps in the entire gastrointestinal tract; these polyps were found in the stomach, small intestine and large intestine via capsule endoscopy. We report on this case and we review the relevant medical literature.