Conservative management leads to improvement in Chinese children with Ménétrier diseaseConservative management shows promise for children with Ménétrier disease

Frontiers in Medicine Published July 22, 2026 DOI ↗ Editorial oversight: Dr. Sofia Müller, MD · Lifespan & Whole-Person Care

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Key Takeaway

Consider conservative management for Chinese children with Ménétrier disease, as it led to improvement in all documented cases.

This systematic review and case report analyzed 16 Chinese children (under 18 years) with Ménétrier disease (MD), a rare hypertrophic gastropathy. The review synthesized data on clinical presentation, diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes. Most patients were male (68.8%) with a median age of 10.0 years. Core symptoms included abdominal pain (75.0%), edema (75.0%), and vomiting (62.5%). Hypoalbuminemia was present in 87.5% of patients, with a median serum albumin level of 20 g/L. All 12 patients with documented conservative management achieved improvement or remission. Median time to symptomatic relief was 22 days, and median time to endoscopic normalization was 4.5 months. The authors note that the small sample size (16 patients) is a key limitation. The review highlights the importance of endoscopy and histopathology for diagnosis and suggests that conservative management is effective in this population. However, due to the small sample and lack of a comparator, these findings should be interpreted cautiously.

Ménétrier disease is a rare condition that affects the stomach. For children, it often presents with symptoms like abdominal pain, swelling (edema), and vomiting. Because it is so uncommon in young patients, finding clear ways to manage the condition is vital for families and doctors.

A review of 16 Chinese children with this condition showed that conservative management worked well. All 12 patients who were treated this way saw their symptoms improve or go into remission. These children typically experienced a median of 22 days before feeling better, while it took about 4.5 months for the stomach lining to look normal during an endoscopy.

While these results are encouraging, it is important to note that the study looked at a small group of only 16 patients. Because this was a case report and systematic review rather than a large clinical trial, more research is needed to confirm these outcomes for all children with the condition.

What this means for you:

Children with Ménétrier disease can see improvement or remission through conservative management plans.

Common questions

What symptoms do children with Ménétrier disease usually have?

Children with this condition often experience abdominal pain, swelling (edema), and vomiting. In the study of 16 children, 75% had abdominal pain, 75% had edema, and 62.5% experienced vomiting.

How effective is conservative management for this condition?

The results were positive for those treated with conservative management. All 12 patients in the study who received this treatment achieved either improvement or remission of their symptoms.

How long does it take for children to feel better?

Patients typically saw relief from their symptoms in a median of 22 days. It took a median of 4.5 months for the stomach lining to reach a normal state during an endoscopy.

Study Details

Study typeMeta analysis

EvidenceLevel 1

PublishedJul 2026

View Original Abstract ↓

ObjectiveChildhood Ménétrier disease (MD) is an extremely rare protein-losing gastropathy. This case report and systematic literature review aimed to characterize the clinical presentation, diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes of MD in Chinese children, using a well-documented institutional case and all eligible published Chinese pediatric cases.MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed one confirmed pediatric MD case admitted to our institution in January 2020. A systematic literature search of PubMed, CNKI, and Wanfang Data was conducted from database inception to January 2026. Eligible publications were single-patient case reports, brief case/image reports, or case-based articles describing Chinese patients younger than 18 years with endoscopic and histological evidence consistent with MD. The quality of included reports was evaluated using the JBI Critical Appraisal Checklist, and descriptive statistics were applied to the aggregated cohort of 16 patients.ResultsThe index case presented with abdominal pain, edema, polyserositis, severe hypoalbuminemia, giant gastric folds, and histological foveolar hyperplasia. Symptoms resolved after conservative management. The systematic review identified 15 additional eligible published cases, yielding 16 Chinese pediatric patients in total (68.8% male). The median age at presentation/diagnosis was 10.0 years, and most patients were school-aged children or adolescents. Core manifestations included abdominal pain (75.0%), edema (75.0%), and vomiting (62.5%). Hypoalbuminemia was documented in 87.5% of patients, with a median serum albumin level of 20 g/L. Endoscopy consistently showed hypertrophic gastric mucosa, with gastric body involvement in all cases. Histological findings were dominated by foveolar epithelial hyperplasia, tortuous or cystically dilated glands, and variable oxyntic gland atrophy. Among the 12 patients with documented conservative treatment, all achieved improvement or remission. The median time to symptomatic relief was 22 days, whereas endoscopic normalization required a median of 4.5 months.ConclusionThis case report with a systematic review indicates that pediatric Ménétrier disease in China has recognizable clinical, endoscopic, and histological features. It mainly affects school-aged boys and adolescents. Abdominal pain, edema, vomiting, and hypoalbuminemia are key clues. Diagnosis requires endoscopy and histopathology, while conservative treatment generally achieves favorable outcomes despite delayed mucosal recovery.

Conservative management leads to improvement in Chinese children with Ménétrier diseaseConservative management shows promise for children with Ménétrier disease

Common questions

Study Details

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Conservative management leads to improvement in Chinese children with Ménétrier diseaseConservative management shows promise for children with Ménétrier disease

Common questions

Study Details

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