Cronkhite-Canada syndrome: A case report and review of the literature

Cronkhite -Canada Syndrome (CCS) is a rare non-hereditary disease characterized by multiple polyps in the alimentary tract and ectoderm changes, and there is no clearly diagnostic criteria and treatment methods. A 55-year-old Chinese woman was admitted to our hospital with diarrhea. She was diagnosed with Cronkhite-Canada Syndrome (CCS). The clinical symptoms of the patient included diarrhea, nausea, retching, anorexia, weight loss, and we found that she had alopecia, onychatrophy, rampant caries and skin pigmentation from the physical examination. Gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed multiple polyps in the gastric antrum, stomach body, ileocecal part and colon, and from the microscopically the polype hyperplsique was observed. The patient was treated by eradicating Helicobacter pylori and regulating the intestinal flora disbalance and his diarrhea improved within a short period of time. We suggested that she should take glucocorticoids orally, but the patient refused. Follow-up at 1 year showed that the symptoms of the patient had recurred sometimes, and she had taken Chinese herbal medicine orally a few times. At present, the symptoms of diarrhea are relieved, the weight of the patient has increased, and the hair and nails of the patient have grown again. From this case, we learned CCS can be likely ignored and not be diagnosed promptly because the low morbidity of CCS.