Small bowel in immunoglobulin deficiency syndromes

Recent advances in immunology have permitted recognition of a group of patients who have gastrointestinal manifestations as part of an immunoglobulin deficiency syndrome. Such immunoglobulin deficiency may be primary or may be secondary to a veriety of diseases. The small bowel roentgen features associated with the various immunoglobulin deficiency syndromes are classified and described as follows: the sprue pattern, as seen in hypogammaglobulinemic sprue and in IgA deficient sprue; multiple nodular defects, as seen in dysgammaglobulinemia; inflammatory changes secondary to giardiasis, associated with immune deficiency diseases; and thickening of the small intestinal folds as seen in the plasma cell dyscrasias, lymphoma, intestinal lymphangiectasia, and amyloidosis.