Cronkhite-Canada Syndrome Diagnosis in the Absence of Gastrointestinal Polyps

A 66-year-old male patient was diagnosed with Cronkhite-Canada syndrome (CCS) despite the absence of gastrointestinal polyps, which are typically associated with the condition. The patient exhibited symptoms including nausea, abdominal pain, rectal bleeding, dysgeusia, onicodystrophy, and alopecia. Endoscopic examination and biopsies showed severe atrophy and diffuse marked edema of the stomach and duodenum mucosa. The patient's symptoms resolved completely after steroid treatment. This case demonstrated that CCS could be diagnosed based on the presence of diffuse marked edema and atrophy of the gastrointestinal mucosa, even without polyps.