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Patient 163/1951
This boy is noted to have had a positive mantoux
test prior to admission at Stannington although
there are no further details as to his medical
or family history. He was transferred to
Stannington from the Royal Victoria Infirmary,
Newcastle, where he had been admitted twice
before diagnosis was settled on.
A letter sent from the RVI upon his transfer
outlines his ailments, treatments and suspected
diagnosis. It reads: "...was first admitted here
in May 1948 when aged 2 2/12. 3 weeks before
that admission he developed oedema of his face,
hands & legs & had some diarrhoea..."
Whilst being treated at the RVI it was suspected
he had nephrosis but his urine contained no
albumen , however, his plasma proteins was very
low. During his hospital stay the oedema
disappeared, thought to be the result of his
hospital diet as his diet prior to admission had
been very poor and it was thought that his
hypoproteinemia was due to dietary
insufficiency. However, he began to have bouts
of diarrhoea leading to his second admission to
the RVI in November 1950 where it was revealed
that his plasma proteins were still very low.
The letter continues:
"...Additional findings were that his mantoux
was positive (was done but not read during his
first admission) & that he had a large mass
of calcified glands in his abdomen....he was
discharged home on a high protein diet with the
feeling that although we had not got to the
bottom of his trouble there must be some faulty
absorption of his proteins associated with the
Tabes Mesenterica..."
Having continued treatment at the RVI it was
only in 1951 that it was considered this boy had
abdominal TB: "...We feel that (a) he has
abdominal TB which leads to (b) diarrhoea which
leads to loss of protein & therefore
possibly insufficient protein intake although we
have no direct evidence for failure of
absorption per se. We also feel that he may be
failing to synthesize his proteins normally..."
With this he was transferred to Stannington as a
means of convalescing from tabes mesenterica
(tuberculosis of the mesenteric lymph nodes)
where the x-ray report acknowledges the presence
of calcified glands in the abdomen. It was
recommended that he be kept on a high protein
diet, which is adhered to at Stannington
although within the few medical records
contained in the patient's Stannington file it
does note that the patient fails to gain weight
despite a healthy appetite and that he still
suffers from loose stools. He was eventually
discharged as quiescent in April 1952.
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