McKittrick–Wheelock Syndrome: A Case Report

Abstract

An adenoma is the most typical large bowel tumor found in 30% of all screening colonoscopies. However, it is often asymptomatic but sometimes might lead to abdominal pain or bleeding of the rectum. Critical electrolyte disbalance and acute kidney injury caused by secretory diarrhea is an untypical clinical manifestation of adenoma. It has rarely been reported in the literature and is defined as McKittrick–Wheelock syndrome. A 61-year-old patient was hospitalized for heavy dyselectrolytemia, diarrhea, acute kidney injury, sepsis, and fever. After the renal function was corrected and electrolyte imbalance persisted, visual instrumental diagnostics tests revealed a large tumor in the sigmoid colon. Subsequently, the patient underwent surgical resection, which exhibited evidence of tubulovillous adenoma on pathology. The atypical signs of McKittrick–Wheelock syndrome and comorbidities can make the diagnostics challenging. When severe hyponatremia and hypokalemia are followed by persistent mucous diarrhea, the clinicians should suspect MWS as a possible reason for it.

Keywords

• McKittrick–Wheelock syndrome
• electrolyte imbalance
• tubulovillous adenoma
• villous adenoma